LC 


UC-NRLF 


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GIFT  OF 


Vocational  Education 

and 

Vocational  Guidance 


A  Survey  and  Preliminary  Report 

By  a  Committee  Appointed 
by  the 

Iowa  State  Teachers'  Association 


Issued  by  the 

Department  of  Public  Instruction 

November,  1914 


CONTENTS 


Page. 

Letter    of    Transmittal 1 

Foreword    2-6 

Creation  and  Organization  of  the  Committee;  Scope  of  the 
Work;  Need  of  Compulsory  School  Statistics;  Need  of  Voca- 
tional Education  and  Vocational  Information;  Necessity  of  a 
Balanced  Committee;  Funds  and  Time. 

Some  General  Considerations 7-18 

The  Elimination  of  Pupils  from  the  Schools  in  Iowa 19-43 

Tables    Summarizing   Vocational    Information    Obtained   from    Par- 
ents, Pupils  and  School  Officers 44-48 

Truancy,  Delinquency  and  Juvenile  Court  Reports 49-54 

Permanency  of  Agriculture  as  a  Vocation 55-62 

Attitude    of    Employers    of    Commercial    Help    Toward    Vocational 

Education     63-67 

Attitude  of  Employers  of  Labor  Toward  Vocational  Education 68-79 

Attitude  of  Organized  Labor  Toward  Vocational  Training 80-83 

The  Employment  Certificate  Provisions  of  Different  States 84-91 

Vocational   Guidance    .                                                                                   .  92-96 


Report  of  the  Committee  on  Vocational 

Education  and  Vocational 

Guidance 


ERRATA 


P.  25,  Columns   3    and   4    from   the   last,   the   words   "under"   and   "over" 

should  exchange  places. 

P.  26,  Line  10  from  the  bottom,  81%  should  read  87%. 
P.  32,  Line  2  from  the  bottom  "33"  should  read  "32." 
P.  33,  Line  7,  "32"  should  read  "27." 

P.  37,  "Fig.  3"  should  be  "Fig.  1,"  and  should  be  used  on  page  57. 
P.  38,  Line  11  from  the  bottom.     Insert  the  word  "the"  before  the  word 

"further." 
P.  47,  Heading   last   column.     "Total   by   grades"   should   read  "Total   by 

ages." 

P.  48,  Heading    last    column,    "minimum"    should    read    "maximum." 
P.  65,  Line  10,  "Insufficiency"  should  read  "inefficiency." 
P.  69,  Line  5,  "data"  should  read  "item." 
P.  71,  Line  2,  "works"  should  read  "words." 
P.  71.  Line  21  "their"  should  read  "its"  own  establishment. 
P.  83,  No.  78.     Omission  of  "he"  should  read  "he  remains." 
P.  94,  Line    2    from    bottom    of    the    page,    "one    thousand''    should    read 

"nine  thousand." 
P.  96,  Sec.  9,  "report"  should  read  "respond." 


Honorary  Member. 


i 


.: 


Report  of  the  Committee  on  Vocational 

Education  and  Vocational 

Guidance 


STATE  OF  IOWA 
DEPARTMENT  OF  PUBLIC  INSTRUCTION 


BULLETIN  NO.  13,.  1914. 

The  report  of  the  Committee  on  Vocational  Guidance  and  Edu- 
cation appointed  by  the  Iowa  State  Teachers'  Association  contains 
so  much  valuable  material  concerning  this  subject  of  vital  interest 
to  the  state,  that  the  Department  of  Public  Instruction  felt  justified 
in  publishing  the  result  of  the  investigation  and  the  findings  of 
the  committee  in  a  special  bulletin.  The  material  will  be  available 
for  the  use  of  those  interested  and  it  will  also  be  valuable  as  a 
foundation  for  any  future  or  further  survey  of  vocational  condi- 
tions in  the  state. 

Respectfully, 

A.  M.  DEYOE, 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 

Des  Moines,  Iowa,  October  22,  1914. 


COMMITTEE     ON     VOCATIONAL     EDUCATION     AND     VOCATIONAL 
GUIDANCE  OF  THE  IOWA  STATE  TEACHERS'  ASSOCIATION. 

Appointed  by  J.  H.    Beveridge,  President. 

Dr.  W.  A.  Jessup,  State  University  of  Iowa. 
Professor  C.  P.  Colegrove,  State  Teachers'  College. 

Professor  G.  M.  Wilson,  State  College  of  Agriculture  and  Mechanic  Arts. 
M.  G.  Clark,  Chairman,  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Sioux  City,  Iowa. 
Mrs.  Anna  L.  Burdick,  Secretary,  Des  Moines  Public  Schools. 
The  Honorable  A.  M.  Deyoe,  State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction, 
Honorary  Member. 


I. 

FOREWORD. 

Creation  and  Organization.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Iowa  State 
Teachers'  Association  in  November  of  1913,  a  committee  was  cre- 
ated by  authority  of  the  Association,  for  the  purpose  of  investigat- 
ing and  reporting  upon  legislation  for  Vocational  Education  and 
Vocational  Guidance  for  the  state  of  Iowa.  The  committee  was 
later  appointed  by  Superintendent  J.  H.  Beveridge,  President  of 
the  Association,  including  in  its  personnel,  Professor  "W.  A.  Jessup, 
Iowa  City,  Iowa;  Professor  C.  P.  Colegrove,  Cedar  Falls,  Iowa; 
Professor  G.  M.  Wilson,  Ames,  Iowa;  Mrs.  Anna  L.  Burdick,  Des 
Moines,  Iowa;  Superintendent  M.  G.  Clark,  Sioux  City,  Iowa;  and 
the  Honorable  A.  M.  Deyoe,  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  Honorary  Member. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  this  committee  a  permanent  organization 
was  effected  as  follows :  M.  G.  Clark  was  elected  as  chairman,  and 
Mrs.  Anna  L.  Burdick  as  secretary.  The  committee  has  held  reg- 
ular meetings  and,  up  to  the  time  of  this  writing,  has  met  for 
investigation  and  discussion  of  the  subject,  six  times,  with  the  pos- 
sibility of  at  least  two  more  meetings  before  this  report  is  finally 
rendered  to  the  State  Association. 

The  committee  desires  to  express  its  appreciation  of  the  services 
of  the  secretary,  Mrs.  Anna  L.  Burdick,  and  of  her  extensive  and 
thorough  contributions  to  this  report. 

Scope  of  the  Work.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the  committee  held 
November  12th  at  the  State  House,  the  general  discussion  of  the 
scope  of  the  work  of  the  committee  was  made  and,  at  that  time 
it  was  outlined  and  construed  to. include  the  following: 

1.     The  gathering  of  data  from: 

a.  Industries. 

b.  Commercial  pursuits. 

c.  Labor. 

(1)  Skilled. 

(2)  Unskilled. 

(3)  Juvenile. 


d.     Education  with  special  reference  to  waste  under  existing 
conditions,  caused  by 

(1)  Elimination 

(2)  Retardation 

(3)  Juvenile  delinquency 

(4)  Inefficient  schools. 

2.     The  interpretation  of  the  above  data  as  a  basis  for  the  prac- 
tical recommendations  of  the  committee. 

Since  it  seemed  necessary  in  order  to  understand  the  work  thor- 
oughly, it  was  decided  that  a  resume  ought  to  be  made  of  all  that 
has  been  accomplished,  particularly  in  the  United  States,  along 
these  lines  of  work.  Consequently,  it  was  assigned  to  Dr.  W.  A. 
Jessup  to  make  art  investigation  and  report  concerning  this  phase 
of  the  needed  investigation.  The  committee  felt  that  it  would  be 
a  very  easy  matter  to  make  a  superficial  study  of  the  legislation 
of  Massachusetts,  Indiana,  Wisconsin,  etc.,  and  from  such  investi- 
gation to  formulate  legislation  which  it  might  recommend  and 
possibly  secure  through  the  hasty  action  of  the  legislature.  But 
it  seemed  to  be  the  unanimous  opinion  of  the  committee  that  much 
of  this  legislation  had  not  been  successful,  that  all  of  the  states 
in  which  work  had  been  done  were  more  or  less  open  to  criticism 
as  to  the  real  value  of  some  phases  of  their  legislation;  and  more 
than  this,  that  Iowa  presented  definitely  her  own  problem  and  that 
this  problem  must  be  known,  not  through  hasty  reports  and  im- 
mature conclusions,  but  by  means  of  a  thorough  survey  of  all  of 
those  phases  which  enter  into  the  industrial  and  vocational  life 
of  the  state. 

It  was  also  thought  that  any  legislation  brought  forward  hastily 
before  such  a  survey  had  been  made  and  interpreted,  must  of 
necessity  bring  to  Iowa  far  greater  mistakes  than  those  mentioned 
in  any  of  the  preceding  states.  Consequently,  the  committee  has 
attempted  to  begin  a  big  thing,  a  piece  of  work  that  could  not  be 
accomplished  in  the  length  of  time  given  to  the  committee  for  its 
report. 

At  a  later  meeting  of  the  committee,  seven  forms  of  questionaires 
were  decided  upon  as  the  minimum  amount  of  investigation  that 
we  could  possibly  attempt  in  the  hopes  of  securing  reliable  data 
upon  which  to  form  any  conclusions  or  recommendations.  These 
schedules  were  as  follows : 

Schedule  1,  which  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  State  Superin- 
tendent Deyoe,  was  made  up  of  questions  to  be  asked  at  the  next 


4 

school  enumeration  concerning  children's  occupations  and  the  age 
of  leaving  school. 

Schedule  2,  also  placed  in  the  hands  of  State  Superintendent 
Deyoe,  called  for  vocational  information  along  two  lines: 

1.  On  vocational  information  to  be  answered  by  children. 

2.  Questions  on  vocational  information  to  be  answered  by  the 

parents  of  these  same  children. 

Schedule  Number  3  consisted  of  questions  to  the  employers  of 
labor  concerning  the  problems  of  labor  employment,  and  the  edu- 
cation of  their  employes.  The  committee  was  fortunate  to  secure 
the  co-operation  of  A.  L.  Urick,  Commissioner  of  Labor,  who  sent 
this  questionnaire  out  through  his  office,  and  from  it  much  valua- 
ble information  has  been  secured. 

Schedule  Number  4  was  likewise  sent  out  to  the  employers  of 
commercial  help.  This  schedule  was  assigned  to  Mrs.  A.  L.  Bur- 
dick,  to  secure  the  information  through  the  co-operation  of  the 
commercial  clubs  of  ten  chosen  cities. 

Schedule  Number  5,  sent  out  to  organized  labor,  concerned  it- 
self with  the  problems  of  labor  and  the  education  and  needs  of  the 
laborer  and  likewise  was  secured  through  the  courteous  co-opera- 
tion of  the  Commissioner  of  Labor,  A.  L.  Urick. 

Schedule  Number  6,  on  the  permanency  of  agriculture  as  an 
occupation  and  also  to  secure  data  concerning  the  education  of 
agriculturists,  was  assigned  to  Professor  G.  M.  "Wilson,  of  Ames. 

Schedule  Number  7,  concerning  itself  with  the  problems  of  tru- 
ancy delinquency,  and  of  juvenile  court  records,  was  assigned  to 
Superintendent  M.  G.  Clark. 

These  schedules  were  all  duly  prepared  and  sent  out  and  returns 
upon  them  appear  in  a  later  portion  of  this  report. 

Need  of  Compulsory  School  Statistics.  One  thing  that  nearly 
all  these  schedules  have  shown,  at  least  all  those  having  to  do  with 
the  school  life  of  a  city,  a  county  or  a  district,  is  the  need  of  a 
system  of  records  in  each  school  concerning  those  vital  statistics 
which  must  be  available  in  order  to  survey  the  school  field  of  Iowa, 
and  know  wherein  are  its  real  weaknesses  or  its  strength.  Prac- 
tically no  such  records  exist  and  it  is  at  this  point  that  the  com- 
mittee has  often  felt  itself  vitally  handicapped  in  arriving  at  its 
recommendations  or  conclusions. 

The  Need  of  Vocational  Education  and  Vocational  Information. 
The  committee  wishes  to  place  itself  upon  record  as  being  heartily 


— 5— 

convinced  of  the  need  of  vocational  legislation  for  Iowa.  They, 
however,  wish  to  place  themselves  just  as  distinctly  on  record  that 
the  investigations  which  they  have  made  lead  them  to  feel  the 
inadequacy  of  the  work  which  they  have  done  and  that  as  a  com- 
mittee, they  are  not  yet  ready  to  make  final  recommendations  for 
a  form  of  legislation  which  may  tie  Iowa  up  for  years  perhaps, 
to  a  serious  legislative  blunder. 

Necessity  of  a  Balanced  Committee.  Your  committee  feels  that 
the  issues  in  vocational  education  cannot  be  settled  by  the  edu- 
cator alone.  Nor  should  the  educator  alone  be  asked  to  face  and 
solve  these  issues  unaided  by  the  layman.  Vocational  education 
in  the  last  analysis  means  preparation  to  meet  the  demands  of 
callings.  Only  those  who  have  had  experience  in  these  callings  are 
able  to  furnish  information  and  advice  with  regard  to  what  should 
be  taught  in  preparation  for  them  and,  to  a  considerable  extent, 
as  to  how  they  should  be  gotten. 

The  educator  is  needed  in  order  to  take  the  contributions  of  the 
layman  and  organize  them  into  courses  of  study.  The  co-operation 
of  both  is  required  to  solve  the  problem.  The  school  man  knows 
the  world  of  children  and  of  books ;  the  layman  knows  the  world 
of  affairs  as  they  are  carried  on  in  his  particular  vocation.  Both 
points  of  view  are  necessary;  much  of  the  work  of  vocational 
education  must  be  carried  on  in  the  vocations  themselves.  This 
requires  the  interest  and  the  help  of  the  employer  and  employe. 

We  need  to  bring  home  upon  both  the  employer  and  employe 
a  renewal  of  an  ancient  sense  of  responsibility  for  the  training 
of  workers  and  the  integrity  of  the  craft.  Industry  cannot  solve 
the  problem  unaided ;  neither  can  the  schools.  The  need  of  co- 
operation, therefore,  between  the  educator  and  the  practical  man 
and  the  development  of  devices  and  machinery  whereby  this  co- 
operation may  be  most  effectively  secured  is  one  of  the  problems 
yet  to  be  solved. 

Funds  and  Time.  Furthermore,  your  committee  also  has  been 
without  adequate  funds  for  any  extensive  investigation  and  the 
time  at  its  disposal  has  been  short  and  has  been  taken  in  the  midst 
of  other  pressing  duties  in  education.  The  committee  has  been 
more  and  more  impressed  with  the  large  importance  of  the  sub- 
ject which  presents  itself,  an  importance  which  justifies  the  fullest 
consideration  before  final  action  is  taken  by  the  state  legislature. 
To  this  extent  the  committee  feels  itself  justified  in  asking  for  a 
larger  appropriation  of  funds  and  an  extension  of  time. 


Finally.  In  attempting  to  handle  the  problem  all  such  questions 
as  these  have  caused  your  committee  to  offer  at  this  time  no  final 
report  or  recommendation  upon  the  subject.  However,  the  inves- 
tigations of  our  committee  have  laid  open  some  by-problems  that 
must  be  solved  in  order  to  give  any  investigating  body  the  neces- 
sary data  from  communities  and  schools  that  it  must  have  before 
it  can  speak  with  authority  upon  the  subject  for  which  the  com- 
mittee was  created. 


Some  General  Considerations 


HISTORICAL. 

Some  provision  has  been  made  at  every  stage  of  civilization  for 
the  transmission  of  race  experience  to  the  oncoming  generation. 
The  problem  of  the  selection  of  this  experience,  and  the  problem 
of  the  technique  of  transmission  4iave  always  been  present. 

The  particular  ideals  of  the  social  group  and  the  knowledge  of 
the  principles  underlying  the  technique  have  varied  at  different 
stages  of  civilization,  but  on  the  whole  history  indicates  that  there 
has  been  a  fairly  constant  vocational  idea  running  through  educa- 
tion from  the  beginning. 

To  go  no  farther  back  than  our  own  American  Education  we  find 
a  vocational  note  running  through  it  all.  The  academy  proposed 
by  Benjamin  Franklin  in  1743,  was  vocational  in  intent,  as  is 
indicated  by  the  following  quotation: 

"As  to  their  studies,  it  would  be  well  if  they  could  be  taught 
everything  that  is  useful,  and  everything  that  is  ornamental.  But 
art  is  long  and  their  time  is  short.  It  is  therefore  proposed,  that 
they  learn  those  things  that  are  likely  to  be  most  useful  and  most 
ornamental ;  regard  being  had  to  the  several  professions  for  which 
they  are  intended.'' 

The  early  Boston  High  School,  established  in  1821,  expressed 
the  same  idea,  as  is  shown  in  the  quotation  from  the  report  giving 
the  reason  for  the  establishment  of  this  school : 

"A  parent  who  wishes  to  give  his  child  an  education  that  will 
fit  him  for  active  life,  whether  mercantile  or  mechanical,  is  under 
the  necessity  of  giving  him  a  different  education  from  any  which 
our  public  schools  can  now  furnish.  *  *  *  "We,  therefore, 
recommend  the  founding  of  a  seminary  which  shall  be  called  the 
English  Classical  School."  This  school  soon  became  the  English 
High  School. 

The  report  on  the  establishment  of  the  High  School  for  Boys 
in  New  York,  which  was  opened  in  1825,  reads :  "It  should  never 
be  forgotten  that  the  grand  object  of  this  institution  is  to  pre- 
pare boys  for  such  advancement  and  such  pursuits  in  life  as  they 


are  destined  to  after  leaving  it.  All  who  enter  the  school  do  not 
intend  to  remain  for  the  full  period  of  time,  and  many  who  leave 
it  expect  to  enter  immediately  upon  the  active  business  of  life. 
It  is  very  plain  that  these  circumstances  must  require  correspond- 
ing classification  of  scholars  and  studies." 

HEAVIER  DEMANDS   ON  THE   SCHOOL. 

With  the  growing  vision  of  universal  education  and  the  attend- 
ant increase  in  the  number  of  children  in  school,  and  the  enor- 
mous increase-  in  the  cost  of  the  school,  have  come  about  added 
complexities  in  adjustment.  So  long  as  the  public  school  attracted 
relatively  few  people,  the  vocational  needs  of  these  people  could 
be  handled  simply.  The  wider  sampling  of  society  attending 
schools  has  brought  about  a  wider  diversity  in  vocational  interests 
of  the  constituency  of  the  schools.  The  increase  in  support  by 
taxation  has  brought  about  a  more  insistent  demand  for  results  of 
a  tangible  nature. 

Thus  the  school  finds  itself  face  to  face  with  the  serious  difficulty 
of  providing  a  type  of  education  which  is  of  maximum  significance 
for  the  people  of  the  state.  In  the  small  schools  of  our  state  it 
is  peculiarly  difficult  to  provide  a  type  of  specific  education  which 
fits  the  different  students  for  the  different  types  of  vocational 
activity.  While  it  is  true  that  differentiation  of  occupational  ac- 
tivity has  not  gone  on  so  rapidly  in  Iowa  as  it  has  in  some  of  the 
Eastern  states,  yet  this  differentiation  is  going  on  with  greater 
rapidity  than  many  of  us  suspect  as  is  indicated  by  the  growth  of 
cities,  and  in  the  development  of  commercial  and  manufacturing 
activties.  According  to  the  census  of  1910,  almost  a  half  million 
of  our  people  live  in  towns  of  2,500  or  more. 

DIVERSITY  IN  OCCUPATIONS. 

Professor  Lewis,  of  the  College  of  Education  at  the  State  Uni- 
versity of  Iowa,  has  recently  made  the  following  analysis  of  occu- 
pational conditions  in  Iowa: 

"According  to  the  last  (1910)  Census  of  Occupations  (U.  S.), 
there  were  in  Iowa  thirty-seven  different  occupations  in  which  at 
least  one  man  was  engaged  in  every  1,000  of  the  population.  The 
occupations  and  the  average  number  of  men  engaged  in  each  to 
every  thousand  of  the  population  are  given  below. 


—9— 


Constant  Occupation 
of  Iowa  Men. 


Number  of  Workers  per 
each  1,000  Population. 


Laborers    

Farmers 

Gardners  and  Florists 

Ditchers    

Coal  mine  operators 

Blacksmiths   

Brick  and  Stone  Masons  

Builders  and  Building  Contractors 

Carpenters    

Printers 

Stationary  Engineers   

Machinists    

Millers  

Painters     

Mill  Operators 

Draymen  and  Teamsters  

Brakemen   

Conductors  (steam  and  electric)    . . 

Engineers   (locomotive)    

Firemen   (locomotive)    

Mail   Carriers    

Bankers  

Clerks    

Commercial  Travelers    

beliverymen    (stores)     

Insurance  (agents  and  officials)   . . 

Real  Estate  Agents  

Retail  Dealers  

Salesmen  (other  than  above) 

Lawyers 

Physicians 

Teachers 

Barbers    

Janitors  

Bookkeepers   (cashiers,  etc.)    

Foremen    

Clergymen 


100 
100 
2 
2 
6 
2 
1 
3 
8 
1 
1 
3 
1 
3 
5 
3 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
5 
2 
1 
1 
1 

12 
5 
1 
1 
1 
2 
1 
2 
3 
1 


These  figures  furnish  something  of  a  basis  for  estimating  the 
complexity  of  the  problem  of  making  adequate  provision  for  voca- 
tional education  in  this  state.  It  but  emphasizes  the  necessity  of 
promoting  the  fundamental  phases  of  this  type  of  work. 


COMMUNITY  VARIATIONS. 

Another  factor  in  a  satisfactory  adjustment  of  education  to 
vocational  needs  is  the  diversity  of  vocational  activity  from  city 
to  city  in  the  same  state,  and  from  decade  to  decade  in  the  same 
city.  Certain  cities  in  Iowa,  for  example,  are  noted  for  their 


— ID- 
mining  industries,  others  for  button  manufacturing,  metal  work, 
printing,  and  so  on.  Changes  are  going  on  constantly  in  regard  to 
these  dominant  industries  in  a  given  town  so  that  vocational  con- 
ditions are  undergoing  continual  change.  This  change  demands  a 
high  type  of  adaptability  on  the  part  of  the  man  or  woman  who 
succeeds  in  participating  in  these  changing  activities.  .Great  care 
is  necessary  in  order  that  the  school  select  permanent  phases  of 
vocational  training. 

SHIFTING  POPULATION. 

Not  only  are  conditions  changing,  but  the  population  is  con- 
stantly shifting.  Dr.  Ayers  found  when  he  conducted  a  census 
of  the  thirteen-year-old  children,  that  from  twenty-one  per  cent 
to  eighty-seven  per  cent  of  the  thirteen-year-old  children  in  a 
group  of  city  schools  throughout  the  country  were  not  born  in  the 
town  in  which  they  were  being  schooled.  Relatively  few  parents 
were  born  in  the  community  in  which  they  were  living.  The  1910 
census  shows  that  more  than  one-third  of  Iowa's  population  was 
born  outside  the  state.  This  gives  something  of  the  measure  of 
the  migration  of  parents  throughout  the  country,  and  gives  an 
idea  of  the  difficulty  of  providing  a  type  of  education  which  will 
be  effective  for  the  different  communities.  The  migration  of  the 
citizenship  of  this  country  has  been  one  of  the  striking  characteris- 
tics of  its  development,  and  we  see  no  indication  of  abatement.  The 
answer  to  the  question  as  to  which  vocations  shall  be  taught  is, 
as  a  consequence  of  this  instability,  not  an  easy  one.  Clearly  we 
must  seek  the  more  wide-spread  vocations,  and  the  more  funda- 
mental aspects  of  these  vocations. 

INVENTIONS  CHANGE  CONDITIONS. 

Another  factor  of  complexity  is  the  fact  that  the  vocations  them- 
selves are  constantly  undergoing  change  through  invention  and 
discovery.  The  introduction  of  machinery  into  the  various  indus- 
trial activities  has  changed  the  whole  industrial  situation.  The 
introduction  of  machinery  into  the  steel  industry,  and  into  glass 
blowing  are  noteworthy  examples.  The  introduction  of  farm  ma- 
chinery has  done  away  with  the  necessity  for  a  great  many  men 
on  the  farm.  Two  or  three  men  can  now  do  the  work  which  re- 
quired a  dozen  men  a  few  years  ago.  The  result  of  this  is  that 
the  demand  for  all  round  skilled  workmen  is  changing.  Rather 


—li- 
the demand  is  for  a  few  highly  proficient  men  to  work  with  a  large 
group  of  men  who  do  extremely  simple  tasks.  Arthur  D.  Dean, 
Chief  of  the  Division  of  Vocational  Schools  of  the  Department  of 
Public  Instruction  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  says  in  this  connection,  "Even 
a  superficial  investigation  will  show  that  many  occupations  do  not 
lead  to  an  acceptable  trade,  and  do  not  require  an  apprenticeship 
of  two  or  three  years.  A  worker  may  become  skilled  in  a  few 
months'  time,  and  does  not  require  a  general  apprenticeship." 

MEN  CHANGE  OCCUPATIONS. 

up 

Another  factor  of  complexity  is  the  fact  that  the  American  citi- 
zen has  not  remained  in  one  line  of  vocational  activity  perma- 
nently. How  many  men  do  you  know  who  have  followed  only  one 
vocation?  Ask  your  friends  this  question,  "Are  you  doing  the 
thing  now  that  you  expect  to  do  all  your  life,  or  is  the  work  you 
ai-e  now  doing  merely  temporary?"  This  restlessness  of  spirit, 
which  is  indicated  by  the  constant  migration  of  men  from  one  place 
to  another,  and  the  more  or  less  constant  shifting  from  one  occu- 
pation to  another,  is  an  expression  of  a  striking  American  trait. 
While  the  schools  may  be  able  to  ultimately  modify  this  thing  if 
it  seems  desirable,  yet  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  for  the  present 
our  attempts  at  improving  education  along  a  wider  range  of  voca- 
tional activity  must  take  this  into  consideration.  Failure  to  recog- 
nize this  desire  to  seek  new  vocations  has  handicapped  the  effective- 
ness of  legislation  in  some  of  our  neighboring  states. 

THEORETICAL  CONSIDERATIONS. 

It  might  be  said  that  the  vocational  work  in  the  school  is  condi- 
tioned by  two  factors;  one,  the  conditions  in  the  outside  world; 
the  other  the  nature  of  the  individual  to  be  educated.  Social  and 
economic  progress  means  that  conditions  in  the  outside  world  are 
changing  constantly.  Individual  progress  in  America  is  being 
constantly  stimulated  to  attempt  new  heights  of  achievement,  to 
venture  into  new  fields,  to  travel  new  paths,  to  dream  new  dreams 
and  to  see  new  visions.  Any  system  of  education  which  we  pro- 
pose must  take  into  account  these  two  factors.  It  would  be-  rela- 
tively easy  for  us  to  provide  a  successful  type  of  vocational  edu- 
cation in  a  static  society,  in  a  world  with  fixed  occupations,  peo- 
pled with  men  and  women  with  fixed  status,  and  with  no  ideal  of 


—12— 

progress;  but  we  like  to  think  that  American  civilization  has  at- 
tained what  it  has  through  its  willingness  to  modify  its  occupational 
activity  constantly  in  the  face  of  opportunities  for  improvement. 
We  have  boasted  that  our  citizenship  is  what  it  is  on  account  of 
the  fact  that  we  have  kept  alive  and  fanned  the  flames  of  individ- 
ual imagination  until  we  are  proud  of  the  fact  that  our  people 
have  a  vision  of  better  things,  and  are  willing  to  pay  the  price  of 
breaking  up  the  old  habits,  the  old  associations,  and  go  into  the 
new  fields  'and  render  new  types  of  service.  Witness  the  marvelous 
utilization  and  adaptation  which  has  come  with  the  use  of  steam, 
electricity  and  gasoline. 

New  systems  of  education  which  are  proposed  must  take  into 
account  these  factors  of  complexity  and  these  theoretical  considera- 
tions. They  will  ultimately  succeed  or  fail  in  the  degree  that  they 
are  an  expression  of  our  social  and  individual  ideals.  The  end  of 
human  social  organization  is  not  merely  the  creation  of  wealth, 
but  the  fostering  of  human  welfare. 

EXPERIMENTATION. 

Our  attention  is  drawn  to  the  adjustments  which  are  being  made 
to  this  problem.  Hundreds  of  communities  have  been  experiment- 
ing with  a  view  toward  increasing  the  vocational  effectiveness  of 
their  educational  systems.  Commercial  courses  have  been  expanded, 
agricultural  training  has  been  made  more  effective,  courses  in  home 
economics  have  been  modified,  manual  training  courses  have  been 
developed,  normal  training  courses  have  been  introduced.  Indeed," 
one  city  proudly  boasts  that  it  has  sixty  different  courses  leading 
toward  as  many  different  lines  of  activity. 

LEGISLATION. 

Within  recent  years  considerable  interest  has  been  manifested 
throughout  the  country  in  regard  to  bringing  about  changes  in 
the  educational  organization  in  a  given  system  of  city  or  state 
schools  which  would  encourage  experimentation  on  a  large  scale. 
Massachusetts,  Wisconsin,  Pennsylvania,  Indiana,  and  other  states 
have  enacted  specific  legislation  for  the  purpose  of  encouraging 
conservative  communities  to  go  forward  with  this  or  that  particular 
type  of  vocational  training. 

Massachusetts  has  been  a  leader  in  this  particular.  In  1906  a 
commission  was  appointed  by  Governor  Douglas  for  the  purpose 


—13— 

of  making  a  thoroughgoing  analysis  of  social,  economic  and  educa- 
tional conditions  within  the  state.  This  commission  spent  two 
years  and  considerable  money  on  the  survey.  As  a  result  of  the 
findings  of  this  commission  provision  was  made  within  the  state 
of  Massachusetts  for  the  establishment  of  certain  specific  types  of 
vocational  schools  such  as  day  vocational  schools,  part  time  voca- 
tional schools  and  evening  vocational  schools. 

Wisconsin,  on  the  recommendation  of  a  commission  appointed 
by  the  governor  at  the  direction  of  the  legislature,  adopted  a  sys- 
tem of  continuation  or  part  time  schools  for  the  purpose  of  pro- 
viding a  better  type  of  vocational  training  for  the  young  people 
of  the  state. 

In  1910  the  legislature  of  the  state  of  Indiana  directed  the  gov- 
ernor to  appoint  a  commission  on  vocational  industrial  education. 
This  commission  made  an  exhaustive  study  of  the  problem  for  a 
period  of  two  years,  culminating  in  the  enactment  of  a  vocational 
education  law. 

Indeed,  it  might  be  said  that  the  characteristic  method  of  bring- 
ing about  vocational  education  legislation  for  the  public  schools 
has  been  that  of  the  creation  of  a  state-wide  commission,  working 
at  the  direction  of  the  governor  and  the  legislature.  This  fact  is 
of  especial  significance  at  this  time  in  Iowa,  as  it  suggests  the 
desirability  of  a  legislative  commission  in  our  state. 

RESULTS. 

With  all  these  precautions  in  the  matter  of  securing  adequate 
information  upon  which  to  base  legislative  enactment,  the  com- 
plexities of  the  situation  have  been  such  that  the  results  have  been 
far  from  satisfactory.  It  has  been  difficult  to  frame  a  satisfactory 
law  on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other  hand,  it  has  been  a  difficult 
thing  to  get  students  to  take  advantage  of  the  conditions  provided. 
In  this  connection  Professor  Leavitt,  of  the  University  of  Chicago, 
in  discussing  the  interpretation  of  the  law  in  Indiana  says,  "The 
Indiana  law  is  interpreted  by  the  State  Board  of  Education,  and 
the  interpretation  sometimes  proves  to  be  more  restrictive  than  the 
law  itself.  For  example,  they  have  interpreted  that  "evening  classes 
in  the  state  aided  vocational  schools  must  be  'to  fit  the  worker  for 
a  more  profitable  employment  in  the  occupation  in  which  he  is 
actually  engaged.  An  evening  school  which  provides  instruction 
for  wage-earners  designed  to  teach  them  another  more  remunera- 


—14— 

tive  occupation  or  trade  or  one  permitting  a  higher  degree  of  skill 
is  not  eligible  for  state  aid. '  : '  Thus  the  law  serves  so  as  to  place  a 
premium  upon  keeping  the  young  man  in  the  same  line  of  activity 
in  which  he  is  already  engaged,  which  in  a  way  closes  one  door  of 
opportunity ;  namely,  that  of  shifting  from  one  vocation  to  another 
vocation  which  is  better  rewarded.  Professor  Leavitt  says  that  the 
law  actually  serves  as  a  determent  to  natural  growth  of  vocational 
education. 

Concerning  the  second  difficulty,  namely,  that  of  getting  a  satis- 
factory response  on  the  part  of  the  students,  Mr.  Hicks,  State 
Director  of  Industrial  Education  in  Wisconsin,  says,  "It  is  not 
that  such  courses  are  not  in  themselves  excellent  courses,  but  rather 
that  the  employers  and  alleged  apprentices  do  not  recognize  that 
such  courses  are  available,  and  that  such  courses  are  worth  while. 
Instead  of  co-operation  in  this  matter,  unfortunately  we  have  the 
frequent  paradox  of  both  the  apprentice  and  the  employer  being 
opposed  to  the  written  contract  for  the  apprentice  on  the  same 
theory,  viz.,  that  the  law  is  unfair.  In  the  mind  of  the  employer 
it  is  unfair  to  grant  the  apprentice  day  instruction.  In  the  mind 
of  the  apprentice  it  is  unfair  to  expect  him  to  remain  three  or 
four  years  in  employment  under  a  stipulated  contract." 

Despite  the  fact  that  the  public  has  been  sympathetic  with  this 
type  of  education,  as  is  indicated  by  its  enactments  for  special 
bonuses,  etc.,  actual  progress  has  been  slow.  Special  vocational 
agent,  M.  "W.  Murray,  of  the  Massachusetts  Board  of  Education, 
in  his  report  in  1913,  said,  "Four  years  of  experience  have  shown 
that  the  all-day  vocational  school,  taking  pupils  after  the  com- 
pulsory age,  can  at  best  reach  only  a  small  portion  of  the  young 
people  before  they  enter  industry.  The  Douglas  commission  be- 
lieved that  if  these  schools  were  established,  80  per  cent  of  the 
children  leaving  school  and  going  to  work  would  profit  by  their 
instruction.  Four  years  of  experience  seem  to  show  that  they  can 
add  less  than  10  per  cent  to  the  group  which  can  be  reached  on  an 
all-day  basis.  The  all-day  schools  have  been  established  in  only 
11  of  the  354  cities  and  towns  in  the  state,  but  they  have  demon- 
strated wherever  they  have  been  established  that  they  can  hold 
children  who  would  otherwise  leave  school,  that  these  children  can 
be  educated,  that  they  are  worth  educating,  though  the  other  public 
schools  have  failed  to  reach  them,  and  that  they  can  give  a  training 
which  enables  their  students  to  secure  a  more  favorable  entrance 
into  trade  and  industry." 


—15— 

The  report  of  Commissioner  Snedden,  of  Massachusetts,  May, 
1914,  states  that  there  were  almost  three  thousand  pupils  enrolled 
in  the  day  schools  of  every  type,  with  about  eight  thousand 
enrolled  in  evening  schools.  Many  of  the  schools  which  have  re- 
ceived wide  publicity  actually  enrolled  few  pupils.  The  Ashford 
Vocational  Agricultural  School  registered  18  boys;  the  Brimfield 
Vocational  Agricultural  School  registered  16  boys;  the  Bristol 
County  Agricultural  School  registered  26  boys;  the  Essex  County 
Agricultural  School  registered  97  boys;  Smith's  Agricultural 
School  registered  122  boys;  the  Beverly  Co-operative  Day  School 
registered  60  boys;  the  Quincy  Industrial  School  registered  60 
boys.  The  evening  schools  showed"  a  very  much  larger  enrollment. 
The  Boston  Evening  Industrial  School  enrolled  639  pupils.  The 
Lowell  Independent  Evening  Vocational  School  enrolled  560. 

Although  Indiana  has  been  operating  under  her  present  law  for 
almost  two  years,  very  little  has  been  done  by  way  of  the  develop- 
ment of  state  aided  schools. 

CONTROVERSY  OVER  TERMS. 

Among  educational  theorists  there  is  a  clear  difference  of  opinion 
as  to  the  meaning  to  be  attached  to  many  of  the  terms  in  this  work. 
For  example,  two  committees  of  the  National  Educational  Associ- 
ation made  reports  at  the  St.  Paul  meeting  which  touched  upon 
vocational  education.  The  Committee  on  Vocational  Education 
adopted  for  the  most  part  the  phraseology  and  definitions  in  use 
in  Massachusetts.  The  Sub-Committee  on  Manual  Arts  of  the 
Commission  on  Reorganization  of  Secondary  Education  stood  for 
a  different  interpretation.  The  first  committee  proposed  to  limit 
vocational  education  as  follows:  " Vocational  day  schools,  which 
may  be  of  the  following  types :  unified,  combined,  dual  or  co-opera- 
tive ;  evening  vocational  schools,  which  may  be  of  a  trade  extension 
or  a  trade  preparatory  type ;  vocational  continuation  schools  which 
may  be  of  a  trade  extension  or  a  trade  preparatory  type."  The 
committee  further  went  on  record  as  follows:  "Vocational  edu- 
cation is  also  to  be  distinguished  from  various  forms  of  so-called 
'Practical  education/  which  may  resemble,  in  their  processes,  voca- 
tional education,  but  which  do  not  always  result  in  definite  forms 
of  vocational  efficiency.  The  various  forms  of  non-vocational  edu- 
cation comprised  under  the  term  'practical  Arts'  include  manual 
training,  household  arts,  simple  gardening  and  agricultural  edu- 
cation, many  phases  of  commercial  education,  etc.  The  various 


—16— 

forms  of  practical  arts  education  as  now  given  in  schools  are  not 
properly  vocational  although  sometimes  mistaken  for  vocational 
education,  because  they  do  not  result,  except  by  chance,  in  recog- 
nized forms  of  vocational  efficiency,  nor  are  they  assumed  to  be 
given  to  persons  who  have  defined  vocational  aims.  *  *  *  Var- 
ious forms  of  practical  arts  education  have  an  important  and  valu- 
able place  in  general  or  liberal  education,  as  a  means  of  enlarging 
general  intelligence,  developing  sound  appreciation  of  economic 
products,  and  in  part  in  laying  the  foundation  for  vocational 
choice. ' ' 

Thus  it  is  seen  that  the  definition  set  up  by  this  committee  would 
clearly  rule  out  as  vocational  a  large  part  of  the  work  as  now  given 
in  agriculture,  manual  training,  and  home  economics  and  com- 
mercial work  in  Iowa  schools.  Many  of  us  would  not  agree  with 
these  definitions. 

That  there  is  a  difference  of  opinion  in  regard  to  the  validity 
of  this  classification  is  shown  from  the  fact  that  the  Sub-Committee 
on  Re-organization  of  Secondary  Studies  reporting  at  the  same 
meeting  of  the  National  Education  Association  said  that  "the 
major  purpose  in  instruction  in  manual  arts  is  to  contribute  di- 
rectly to  the  vocational  efficiency  of  the  pupils"  (in  secondary 
schools).  The  committee  affirmed  that  "when  judged  by  actual 
practice,  and  not  by  definition,  much  of  our  manual  arts  instruc- 
tion has  contributed,  and  is  still  contributing,  to  the  vocational 
efficiency  of  innumerable  boys  and  girls." 

NEED  TO  MOVE  SLOWLY. 

With  this  clear  difference  of  opinion  existing  at  the  present 
time  in  the  matter  of  educational  leadership  of  this  country,  it 
would  seem  to  be  the  part  of  wisdom  for  Iowa  to  move  slowly, 
and  only  after  a  comprehensive  report  of  an  expert  commission. 
Clearly  we  cannot  afford  to  inaugurate  a  wholesale  scheme  until 
we  know  the  situation  thoroughly. 

Concerning  this  necessity,  Mr.  C.  A.  Prosser,  Secretary  of  the 
National  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Industrial  Education,  said 
in  Cincinnati  three  years  ago,  "The  difficulties  of  the  problem 
require  that  we  should  proceed  on  the  basis  of  investigation  and 
careful  experimentation.  We  need  perhaps  most  of  all  a  frank 
recognition  of  the  difficulties  which  have  thus  far  been  pointed 
out,  and  a  diligent  search  for  those  as  yet  uncovered.  Every- 


—17— 

where  there  should  be  careful,  unbiased,  scientific,  thoroughgoing 
and  more  or  less  specialized  study  of  social  and  industrial  condi- 
tions, industries,  occupations  and  workers.  The  most  important 
contribution  that  could  be  made  by  either  public  or  private  agencies 
would  be  successful  experiments  in  new  fields  of  industry  that  as 
yet  remain  practically  untouched."  (Italics  ours.) 

It  should  not  be  forgotten  that  much  may  be  done  without  legis- 
lation. We  are  already  doing  much  of  significance  in  connection 
with  the  problem.  This  is  recognized  most  clearly  by  the  men  who 
are  in  charge  of  vocational  education  on  a  large  scale.  Vocational 
Director  Dean  of  the  New  York  State  Department,  says,  "I  would 
re-create  and  re-vitalize  my  present  machinery  for  developing  a 
sane,  comprehensive  plan  for  furthering  the  educative  process  for 
youth  before  it  went  to  work,  and  then  as  my  means  allowed  and 
my  keenness  of  judgment  dictated,  I  would  slowly,  thoughtfully, 
and  earnestly  grapple  with  more  complex  educational  and  indus- 
trial problems  which,  while  they  are  problems  of  importance  to  the 
welfare  of  the  state,  have  after  all  relatively  small  import  as  com- 
pared with  the  problem  of  sound  fundamental  education." 

Attention  has  already  been  called  to  the  fact  that  the  mobility 
of  the  population  from  one  community  to  another,  the  shifting  of 
type  of  occupation  in  a  single  city  from  decade  to  decade,  and  the 
changes  as  a  result  of  invention,  all  contribute  to  the  necessity  of 
choosing  the  fundamental  phases  only  of  vocational  education. 
Concerning  this  phase  Director  Dean  of  the  Vocational  Division 
of  the  Department  of  Education  of  New  York  state  says,  "It  is 
the  business  of  the  state  to  train  its  youth  toward  the  permanent 
requirements  of  industry.  Such  requirements  are:  good  health, 
that  the  worker  may  withstand  the  nervous  strain  of  modern  pro- 
duction ;  personal  and  socialized  character,  to  assist  in  the  solution 
of  tremendous  economic  problems  which  are  coming  up  in  the  labor 
world;  certain  elements  of  citizenship  training,  in  order  that  we 
may  have  industrial  justice  in  our  democracy;  mental  capacity, 
that  the  worker  may  think  as  well  as  operate;  and,  finally,  funda- 
mental skill,  exchangeable  in  various  branches  of  a  trade  or  be- 
tween various  trades  themselves." 

Thus,  if  we  were  to  accept  the  affirmation  of  the  sub-committee 
of  the  committee  on  the  Re-organization  of  Secondary  Study,  and 
the  judgment  of  such  men  as  Arthur  W.  Dean,  Chief  of  the  Divi- 
sion of  Vocational  Education  of  the  state  of  New  York,  we  might 
say  that  we  are  already  doing  much  in  vocational  education  in 


—18— 

Iowa.  Iowa  is  subsidizing  vocational  education,  as  thus  defined 
in  the  form  of  normal  training,  agriculture,  manual  training,  home 
economics  in  -connection  with  the  normal  training  course.  This 
type  of  work  also  receives  encouragement  in  the  consolidated 
schools.  Commercial  education,  though  not  subsidized,  is  widely 
recognized. 

It  is  important  that  the  leadership  in  every  community  and  every 
school  be  alert  to  the  wonderful  possibilities  in  connection  with 
increasing  the  vocational  effectiveness  of  the  educational  system 
in  Iowa.  To  this  end  we  ask  that  provision  be  made  for  a  more 
thoroughgoing  survey  than  has  been  possible  thus  far  and  that  a 
legislative  program  be  prepared  by  1917. 


THE  ELIMINATION  OF  PUPILS  FROM  THE  SCHOOLS 

IN  IOWA. 

Any  study  of  the  educational  situation  of  the  state  would  be  in- 
complete without  an  attempt  to  ascertain  the  extent  to  which  the 
children  are  being  held  in  school  in  the  upper  grades.  The  statis- 
tics of  elimination  for  the  state  as  a  whole  not  being  available,  the 
work  of  securing  at  least  a  tentative  answer  to  this  question  was 
referred  to  the  Department  of  Agricultural  Education  at  the  Iowa 
State  College,  which  has  been  working  with  a  number  of  superin- 
tendents throughout  the  state,  organized  as  the  Iowa  School  Sur- 
vey Club.  During  the  year  1913-14  the  members  of  this  club,  to- 
gether with  the  cities  represented  were  as  follows : 

Clarson,  J.  W.,  Jr Buffalo  Center 

Chehock,  H.  W Clear  Lake 

Clierny,  J.  L Independence 

Delzell,  E.  B College    Springs 

Dooley,  L.  W New  Hampton 

Dow,  H.  E Hamburg 

Eells,  H.  L Rolfe 

Goetsch,  P.  W Bedford 

Griffin,  R.  A Lake  City 

Humphrey,  C.  E Denison 

Ireland,  J.  M Villisca 

Johnson,    S.    A Greenfield 

Kies,  H.  D .  Corydon 

Linton,   H.   H Newell 

Long,  R.  E Corning 

Moore,  A.  W West  Union 

Moore,  J.  E Fayette 

Neveln,   S.  T Storm  Lake 

Overmyer,  J.  P Algona 

Owen,  A.  T.  S - Farmington 

Phillips,   A.   W Tennant 

Pye,  Chas.  P Waukon 

Reed,  F.  P Osceola 

Schmitt,  C.  J Avoca 

Smith,  H.  P Newton 

Smith,  L.  O Keosauqua 

Tye,  Chas.  H Fonda 

Street,  J.  P Story  City 

Spaulding,  Wayne   Oakland  . 

The  various  members  of  the  club  co-operated  by  furnishing  the 
data  for  making  the  age-grade  table,  boys  and  girls  separately,  for 
all  of  the  cities.  The  study  shows  the  comparative  ranking  of  the 
cities,  and  therefore  involves  data  which  some  superintendents 
might  be  inclined  to  consider  as  confidental.  The  spirit  of  the 
Survey  Club,  however,  has  been  splendid  in  this  respect.  Each 
superintendent  realizes  that  he  has  probably  worked  but  a  few 


—20— 

years  in  the  place,  and  that  whatever  of  progress  or  lack  of 
progress  is  shown,  is  not  due  to  his  efforts  entirely,  but  that  the 
condition  is  an  index  of  community  spirit,  the  attitude  of  the  school 
board,  willingness  to  spend  money,  efficiency  of  teaching,  and  a 
large  number  of  other  factors  none  of  which  are  fully  under  the 
control  of  the  superintendent.  Any  one  examining  the  final  tables 
should  also  keep  in  mind  the  fact  that  only  very  general  conclu- 
sions can  be  drawn  from  a  final  table  and  that  even  then  the  origi- 
nal data  must  either  bear  these  out  or  furnish  explanations. 

Before  undertaking  to  use  the  data  with  names  of  cities  inserted, 
all  of  the  members  of  the  Survey  Club  were  written  with  reference 
to  the  matter.  Consent  was  immediately  forthcoming,  from  the 
members.  The  spirit  of  the  Club  is  indicated  by  such  expressions 
as  these : 

"It  is  agreeable  to  use  the  name  of  our  town  so  far  as  I  am  concerned. 
The  way  we  get  somewhere  in  working  with  school  problems  is  by 
getting  at  things  definitely." 

"You  may  feel  at  perfect  liberty  to  use  any  report  of  our  school  that 
I  may  send  you.  Although  the  report  from  the  8th  grade  is  far  below 
anything  that  it  ever  has  been,  there  are  particular  reasons,  and  I  am 
sure  the  situation  will  be  corrected.  If  the  Survey  Club  is  to  get  any- 
where we  want  to  know  in  what  way  to  go,  and  how  to  do  it." 

The  instructions  for  collecting  the  data  for  the  age-grade  tables 
were  in  accordance  with  the  report  of  the  committee  on  Uniform 
Records  and  Reports  adopted  by  the  Department  of  Superintend- 
ence at  the  National  Educational  Association  in  February,  1912 
(U.  S.  Bureau  of  Education  Bulletin  3,  1912).  Slightly  more  than 
half  of  the  tables  were  made  up  in  this  office  from  original  data 
furnished  by  the  superintendents.  The  other  tables  were  compiled 
by  the  superintendents  according  to  instructions.  The  interest 
and  fine  co-operation  of  the  Superintendents  cannot  be  over-em- 
phasized. 

In  order  to  illustrate  the  way  in  which  the  data  was  handled  the 
tables  for  three  cities,  Fayette,  Storm  Lake  and  Hamburg,  are  given 
herewith.  The  data  for  boys  and  girls  has  been  figured  separately, 
and  this  is  shown  for  Fayette,  but  is  not  here  shown  for  the  other 
cities.  (See  tables  I,  II,  III,  IV,  V.)  The  variation  between  boys 
and  girls  in  school  progress  is  not  dealt  with  in  detail  in  this  brief 
summary,  although  Table  X  shows  a  comparison  of  boys  and  girls 
in  a  few  of  the  studies.  In  every  case  the  girls  make  the  better 
showing,  a  fact  which  carries  large  vocational  significance. 


—21—   . 


M 

g    B 

g    § 


IB10J, 


Japan 


J9AO 


I9AO    SIBd£    g 


J9AO 


IB  en  JON 


coco  to  to 


-2 


-OJ25 

d 


i 


-a  a 
a  ° 

O-H 

81 


O   bfl 


JJ 


II; 


in  <e  t~  oo  M  i— 1 1— 1 1 


—22— 


•ON: 


Japan 


J8AO 


J3AO 


J8AO 


m 


§ 


.COlOCi<M«OCOOOlft(»<MOlJ>- 
r-H  r-H  i—  1  r-  1         r-  1  CQ  T-H         i-H 


<M 


I-l  tO  IO  ! 


r-IOr-lfO—  rH 


t-lOM«OCNlH 


r-l(NCO-#lO<£>l>OOH-<>— <h-M 


—23— 


1 


t 

s  s 


IJSOSJBT;  % 


•ON: 


lapun  IBIOJ& 


J8AO 


J3AO    SIB3A1    f 


I8AO 


I3AO    SIB  9^    Z 


J9AO 


y—  N 

00 


t  rH  ID  O  CO   —  i 


iHIXO  If)      ! 


-24— 


TABLE  IV.—  AGE-GRADE  TABLE. 

STORM  'LAKE,  IOWA,  BOTiS  AND  OIRUS. 

ijsaS.iB'i  % 

ssgpgssssess 

1 

'OK    WOJj 

89K888RMRSX 

i 

Age  Classification  %  

Japan  IB^OJ, 

IS 

J9AO  JBJOJj 

12 

J8AO    SJB8A"    ^ 

gw. 

I3AO    SUBdS.    S 

- 

- 

S" 

J3AO    SIU9^    2 

gs 

I3 

,8nuoN 

Is 

SS 

a 

9 

M  m 

*- 

a 

-1 

co  O  •** 

fc 

5 

<N  •«*<  Ol  OJ  Cl 

S8 

S 

SO  O  CM  —  CO 

(M 

10 

rH 

1  -  00  O  IN  QO 

O 

3 

rHrHWCO^WV^ 

% 

eg 

OOCOrHCSJ±N^ 

CO 

CM 

l-H  O  <>J  BO  CM  1>  rH 

B 

- 

CO  CO  CM  O  CO 

m 

s 

fro  coeo^joo 

s 

0 

c<i  o  ^  d 

(M 

00 

<N 

-«59 

5 

J> 

CO 

ce  C> 

a 

» 

CS 

co 

s 

„ 

8? 

8 

rH 

Total-- 

-*  10  «0  t-  CO  M 

—25— 


§  i 
i! 

9i 
i! 

K"         5 


"OK 

J3AO 


Japan 


I8AO 


J9AO 


eptuo 


O  rH(M  ^COCM 


o  c>  -^  IM  «o  10  in 


r-li-llOcO  —  U9Or-l 


I-H  t~  eo  o  en  in 


CO  00  1C      )  OS  M  (M 


i-l  <X3  O  OO  to  c^j 


l-l  IH     t    W  0>  00 


O  O  I-H  irt  irt  i-i 


S3S 


rl  03  CO  •<*  U»  «D  *»  CO  M  Hf  ZJ I 


—26— 

A  glance  at  the  tables  themselves  will  show  that  the  classifica- 
tion of  the  children  in  the  Fayette  schools  is  more  consistent  than 
that  in  the  Hamburg  schools.  The  normal  age  for  children  in  the 
first  grade  is  6  and  7  and  this  advances  one  year  with  each  grade. 
The  normal  for  each  grade  is  indicated  by  black  faced  type.  The 
Fayette  group  is  more  consistent,  has  more  underageness,  and  in 
general  there  is  not  so  much  spread  in  each  grade.  All  of  these 
points  are  brought  out  more  fully  by  the  comparisons  in  Table  VI. 
Fayette  shows  59%  normal;  Storm  Lake  55%;  Hamburg  only 
50%.  Evidently  what  we  want  is  many  pupils  of  normal  age  so  the 
higher  this  figure  the  better.  The  total  overage  in  Fayette  is  14%  ; 
in  Storm  Lake  21.1%;  in  Hamburg  41%.  Manifestly  what  we 
want  is  as  little  overage  as  possible,  so  the  smaller  this  figure  the 
better.  The  total  underage  in  Fayette  is  26% ;  in  Storm  Lake 
22.7% ;  in  Hamburg  9%.  If  we  are  to  have  our  choice,  we  cer- 
tainly prefer  underageriess  to  overageness.  Since  one  year  is  al- 
lowed in  each  grade  we  should  expect  a  little  underageness.  More- 
over, it  is  the  custom  in  most  of  the  schools  of  Iowa  for  children 
to  start  at  the  age  of  5.  This  gives  an  additional  year,  and  so  we 
should  not  only  expect  consider  able  "underageness,  but  should  give 
a  system  credit  in  proportion  to  the  underageness. 

The  matter  of  elimination  is  indicated  in  this  table  by  the  per 
cent  that  each  grade  is  of  the  largest  age-group.  The  largest  age- 
group  for  boys  and  girls  combined  in  the  Fayette  system  is  at  age 
14,  in  which  there  are  32  pupils.  Figuring  the  per  cent  that  the 
number  of  pupils  in  each  grade  is  of  the  largest  age-group,  we 
find  that  in  the  first  grade  there  are  23  pupils  and  that  this  is  72% 
of  the  number  in  the  largest  age-group  (32) .  The  per  cents  run : 

1st  grade 72%  7th  grade 69% 

2d   grade 34%  8th  grade 78% 

3d   grade 69%  9th  grade 159% 

4th    grade 81%  10th  grade 69% 

5th    grade 91%  llth  grade 56% 

6th    grade 72%  12th  grade 72% 

as  indicated  in  the  column  "Percent  of  the  Largest  Age-Group." 

The  Fayette  schools  show  the  unusual  situation  of  as  many 
pupils  in  the  fourth  year  high  school  as  there  are  in  the  first  grade ; 
while  in  the  first  year  high  school  there  is  more  than  double  the 
number  of  pupils  in  the  first  grade.  The  explanation,  however,  is 
not  race  suicide,  but  the  fact  that  tuition  pupils  come  into  the 
upper  grades  and  into  the  high  schools  in  very  large  numbers. 


—27— 

The  largest  age-group  in  Storm  Lake  shows  more  of  a  falling  off 
in  the  upper  grades.  In  Hamburg  again  the  numbers  in  the 
eighth  grade  and  in  each  year  of  the  high  school  are  practically 
equal  or  a  little  above  the  first  grade.  This  is  shown  graphically 
in  figure  1. 


Fig.  1 

Table  VI  is  designed  to  allow  ready  comparison  of  the  chief 
facts  with  reference  to  the  29  cities  involved.  The  figures  are 
based  in  every  case  upon  totals  (boys  and  girls  combined).  The 
first  column  gives  the  number  of  the  cities  in  order  and  will  be 
referred  to  again.  The  next  thirteen  columns  indicate  the  grade 
population  of  the  several  cities  as  shown  by  the  per  cent  of  the 
largest  age-group.  It  also  indicates  the  elimination  of  pupils  in 
the  upper  grades.  This  is  best  shown,  however,  by  the  summary 
at  the  bottom,  the  first  line  of  which  indicates  the  minimum,  the 
second  line,  the  first  quartile;  the  third  line,  the  median;  the 


-28— 


TABLE    VI  —  29    IOWA 


Per  cent  of  Largest  Age  Group  (Total) 


Variation  of 
Grade  Population 


— 

a 

b 

C 

d 

e 

f 

g 

h 

i 

, 

k 

1 

m 

n 

0 

P 

q 

Both 

IB 

1 

2 

3 

4 

Med.   5 

6 

7 

8 

I 

II 

III 

IV 

Grades 

H.  S. 

1  

2 



72 
148 
129 
62 
111 
67 
145 
75 
128 
79 
147 
150 
104 
127 
153 
136 
67 
108 
112 
150 
181 
27 
100 
121 
95 
104 
117 
140 
155 

34 
105 
100 
47 
108 
60 
89 
78 
54 
103 
94 
88 
94 
78.8 
84 
113 
70 
78 
107 
76 
88 
77 
72 
94 
78 
79 
67 
123 
157 

69 
75 
103 
45 
88 
93 
78 
87 
23 
79 
70 
108 
137 
125 
77 
100 
70 
104 
109 
121 
75 
7] 
86 
103 
88 
83 
125 
130 
95 

87 
97 
121 
62 
94 
107 
87 
84 
38 
105 
114 
113 
71 
98 
131 
115 
82 
95 
122 
115 
63 
58 
100 
94 
104 
100 
88 
60 
87 

72 
80 
100 
55 
91 
72 
100 
84 
59 
84 
81 
106 
98 
94 
88 
106 
70 
83 
100 
112 
77 
71 
87 
94 
80 
81 
86 
63 
81 

91 
81 
62 
53 
111 
63 
100 
81 
72 
79 
83 
105 
123 
100 
61 
93 
72 
79 
76 
108 
41 
65 
88 
191 
81 
100 
83 
43 
75 

72 
78 
79 
43 
91 
76 
78 
84 
81 
84 
50 
101 
117 
75 
9? 
120 
71 
83 
109 
97 
79 

102 
0 

57 
70 
77 
60 
59 

69 
70 

88 
57 
52 
60 
102 
87 
64 
97 
80 
88 
74 
90.4 
146 
80 
39 
83 
100 
97 
95 
65 
77 
75 
54 
62 
77 
60 
59 

78 
89 
118 
60 
58 
SO 
114 
91 
51 
66 
47 
79 
86 
61 
53 
76 
70 
51 
100 
118 
59 
94 
86 
94 
59 
30 
119 
67 
53 

150 
56 

59 

€0 

€9 
64 
76 

49 

56 
19 
47 
69 

72 
19 
71 

28 

172 
15119 
13106 
439 
19135 
"90 
"97 
211 
10159 
^60 
25191 
"122 

23156 

21145 

18131 

ifl135 
7097 

i299 
783 
1299 
2*169 
334 
071 

890 
20143 
22146 
"111 
2«229 
27295 

—68 
162 
147 
14 

4 
182 
253 
53 
135 
193 
185 
56 
121 
91 
285 
122 
254 
327 
127 
135 
175 
99 
83 
99 
294 
60 
71 
90 
143 
146 
253 
245 
420 

3 

4 

5 

6_— 

7 



53 
110 
87 
113 
97 
86 

36 
111 
66 
56 
108 
64 

40 
47 
69 
72 
55 
36 

56 
44 
69 
33 
45 
44 

103 
88 
45 
—38 
31 
94 

8 

9  ___ 

10 

11 

12 

13  

80 
80.8 
92 

70 
42.3 

78 
44.3 

66 

27 

98 
182 
—4 

78 

""l25 
26 

"6 

"~142 
76 
131 

14 

15 

16 

will 

18  
19 

22 

65 

56 

32 

49 

20 

21  

77 
87 

45 
65 

27 
58 

34 

48 

22 

23.... 
24_._. 
25— 
26_... 

27_._. 
28  .. 

85 
88 
57 
80.8 
53.8 

112 

103 

91 

70 

56 
97 
95 

83 
73 
34 

36 
30 
20 

27 
36 
44 

29—. 
Min 

128 

62 
97 
117 
145 
181 

34 

76 
84 
100 
157 

23 

75 
88 
104 
137 

38 
84 
95 
107 
131 



41 
72 
81 
100 
123 

0 

7i 
78 
91 
120 

39 

62 
77 
88 
.46 

30 
59 
76 
91 
119 

0 
0 
65 

92 
159 

0 

0 
49 
69 
111 

0 
0 

32 
55 
91 

0 
0 
33 

48 

72 

11 
90 
111 
145 
295 

-68 
0 
16 
98 
187 

4 

91 
135 
253 
52fi 

Qi  _. 

Med. 
Q3  .. 
Max. 



—29— 


CITIES    (1913). 


Age  Classification  # 

Years  over- 
age per 
pupil 

AV.  age 

spread  in 
grades 

Combined 
ranking 

r 

s 

t 

U 

V 

\v 

X 

y 

z 

Nor. 

1-0 

2-o 

3-0 

4-0      T-o 

T-u 

3.178 
1.152 
*.195 
12.331 
2.155 
5.206 
6.234 
i°.283 
6.208 
5.206 
!).279 
8.269 
".806 
i5.  358 
7.262 
i3.  334 
14.330 
18  .  371 
21.419 
4.440 
°.364 
1.419 
7.338 
2.421 
20.401' 
23.428, 
19.375 

26.  891  i 

95.706 

45.1 
35.0 
35.0 
24.9 
75.5 
14.6 
105.8 
45.1 
G5.3 
i86.9 
14.6 
126.1 
85.6 
105.8 
14.6 
i97.1 
146.3 
65.4 
156.4 
66.5 
»5.7 
176.8 
"5.9 
85.6 
85.6 
"6.2 
i36.2 
126.1 
166.5 

14 
22 
27 
19 
32 
30 
29 
28 
34 
36 
49 
50 
51 
57 
36 
58 
58 
60 
56 
56 
62 
59 
50 
58 
70 
75 
65 
85 
91 

1 
3 

4 
2 

8 
7 
6 
5 
9 
10 
12 
13 
15 
18 
11 
19 
20 
23 
16 
17 
24. 
22 
14 
21 
26 
27 
25 
28 
29 

Fayette 
Buffalo  Center 
Story  City 
Rolfe 
Waukon 
Newell 
Osceola 
Oakland 
College   Springs 
West  Union 
Farmington 
Independence 
Storm  Lake 
Clear  Lake 
Tennant 
Newton 
Algona 
Denison 
Corning 
Corydon 
Avoca 
Fonda 
Bedfordd 
Greenfield 
New  Hampton 
Villisca 
Lake  City 
Keosauqua 
Hamburg 

59 
59 
59.2 
48 

70 
52.3 
59.6 
61.1 
63 
60 
62 
55.9 
55 
53 
53 
65 
71 
55 
48 
56 
65 
59.5 
60 
66.5 
62.4 
64.4 
46 
50 

10 
8 
10 
8 
6 
8 
11.8 
11.7 
8 
8 
15.2 
10 
14 
14 
12.9 
14 
15 
16 
•  13 
12 
13 
12 
16.2 
18 
15 
13.5 
14.1 
17.3 
21 

2 
2 
2.8 
4 
2 
3 
3.4 
5.8 
.3 
3 
5 
4 
5.5 
6 
10.3 
5 
5 
7 
6 
6 
6 
6 
6 
9 
4 
7.7 
6.6 
15.5 
11 

.6 
.2 
.8 
5 

:! 

1.3 
1.6 
2 
1 
.6 
1 
1 
2.4 

2 

2 
1 
4 
3 
2 
5 
1.4 
1 
3 

L 

6.5 
5 

V 

1.6 
3 
6.5 

14 
11 
13.  S 
'17 
10 
13 
16.7 
19.2 
13.6 
13. 
21 
17 
21.1 
23 
24 
21 
22 
25 
24 
23 
22 
24 
25 
29 
24.6 
24.3 
24 
45 
40 

°2f> 
329 
226.5 
.135 

497 

"16 
230.8 
"21.1 
725 
«24 
1418 
"21 
B22.7 
"22 
1022.4 
'25 

20H 

244 
"21 
*27 
1327 
"12 
"15.7 
2on 

228.8 
"13.2 
i911.8 
2i9.4 

23g 

.5 

.4 
.4 

"""5 

.8 
.3 
.6 

7 
.5 

.4 

1 
1 
.7 
1 

:! 

i 

•i 

3 

2 

46 
55 
59.2 
62.4 
71 

6 

10 
13 
15 
21 

.3 
3.4 

5.5 

15.5 

0 
0 
.5 

.8 
7 

10 

16.7 
22 
24 
45 

4 
12 
21 
25 
35 

.152: 
.234 
.334 
.401) 
.891' 

4.6 
5.1 
5.7 
6.2 
7.1 

—  - 

.... 

—30— 

fourth,  line,  the  third  quartile ;  and  the  last  line,  the  maximum.  Ap- 
plying this  to  the  first  grade  we  note  that  the  lowest  per  cent  of  the 
largest  age-group  in  any  system  is  62,  the  minimum;  the  highest, 
181,  the  maximum.  The  middle  figure,  or  the  figure  above 
and  below  which  50%  of  the  cases  fall,  is  117.  This  is  the  median, 
shown  in  the  third  line.  The  first  quartile  is  midway  between 
the  minimum  and  the  median;  while  the  third  quartile  is  mid- 
way between  the  median  and  the  maximum.  These  five  lines, 
therefore,  indicate  at  a  glance  the  range  in  any  one  grade.  The 
median  for  the  different  grades  indicates  the  general  trend  of  all 
of  the  cities  with,  reference  to  grade  elimination. 

Referring  again  to  Table  VI  the  figures  under  Variation  of 
Grade  Population  are  based  directly  upon  the  data  in  the  first 
fourteen  columns  (a  to  n  inclusive,  omitting  column  /).  The  discus- 
sion of  this  part  of  the  table  might  be  omitted,  except  that  many  su- 
perintendents will  be  interested  and  will  desire  to  carry  the  work 
further.  Briefly  this  may  be  explained  as  follows:  Variation  for 
the  grades  is  figured  on  the  basis  of  the  total  variation  from  the 
median  of  the  first  eight  grades  alone  but  in  case  the  seventh  and 
eighth  grades  rise  above  the  median,  credit  is  given  for  the  amount 
of  this  rise.  In  like  manner  the  high  school  is  figured  from  the 
same  median,  but  credit  is  given  for  a  rise  above  the  median.  Col- 
umn /  indicates  the  medians. 

The  justification  of  this  is  that  the  population  of  the  various 
grades  should  continue  on  a  level,  or  with  uniform  numbers  in 
each  grade.  The  tendency  is  a  regular  decrease.  Therefore  for 
an  increase  in  upper  grades  credit  should  be  given,  as  it  indicates 
strong  holding  power  or  attracting  power,  i.  e.,  either  holding 
their  own  pupils,  or  attracting  pupils  to  upper  grades  from  out- 
side the  corporation.  The  final  ranking  is  based  upon  the  eighth 
grade  variation  (inversely),  the  high  school  being  considered 
only  when  it  reduces  the  total  variation.  The  variation  of  the 
grade  population  as  a  standard  for  measuring  a  school  system 
has  not  been  commonly  used.  It  is,  however,  a  standard  worthy 
of  consideration.  If  all  of  the  above  cities  were  of  about  uniform 
size,  and  all  had  high  schools,  it  is  believed  that  this  standard 
could  be  applied  with  fair  justice  to  all  concerned,  and  properly 
figured  as  one  of  three  or  four  standards,  a  combination  of  which 
should  determine  the  ranking  of  the  different  systems  with  ref- 
erence to  the  progress  of  children  through  the  grades. 


—31— 

The  numbers  on  the  left  indicate  the  ranking  of  the  systems 
when  ranked  differently  on  the  point  of  the  variation  in  grade 
population.  This  first  ranking  took  into  consideration  a  number 
of  small  details  which  varied  considerably  with  each  system,  but 
could  not  be  made  evident  to  others  in  a  table  giving  summaries 
only.  It  was  thought  better,  therefore,  to.  rearrange  them  on  this 
point  according  to  the  uniform  standard  indicated  in  the  para- 
graph above.  In  some  cases  this  changed  the  total  ranking,  so 
that  the  combined  ranking  indicated  in  the  column  to  the  right 
is  not  in  the  same  order  as  the  numbering  on  the  left. 

The  next  seven  columns  of  Table "VI  (columns  r  to  x  inclusive)  in- 
dicate the  facts  with  reference  to  normal  age,  overageness  and  un- 
derageness.  The  column  marked  "Nor."  indicates  the  per  cent  of 
children  in  the  system  that  are  normal  according  to  the  age-grade 
standard.  The  next  column  indicates  the  per  cent  one  year  over- 
age ;  the  next  two  years  overage ;  the  next  three  years  overage ;  the 
next  four  years  overage ;  and  the  next  total  overage.  The  seventh 
column  under  this  heading  indicates  the  per  cent  of  total  underage. 
The  summary  at  the  bottom  again  sets  forth  the  significant  figures, 
the  median  giving  the  most  significant.  These  figures  show  a 
very  surprising  consistency  about  the  various  systems.  The  num- 
ber of  normal  age  as  expressed  by  the  median  is  59.2%.  The  first 
quartile  is  about  4.2%  below  this,  and  the  third  quartile  but 
3.2%  above.  This  means  50%  of  all  of  the  cases  fall  within  a 
range  of  7.4%.  The  per  cent  of  pupils  one  year  overage  is  like- 
wise quite  consistent,  the  median  being  13%  ;  first  quartile  10%, 
and  the  third  quartile  15%.  The  per  cent  of  total  underage  and 
of  total  overage  runs  practically  the  same,  the  medium  being 
22%  for  overage,  and  21%  for  underage. 

The  next  column  in  the  table  (.column  ?/),  indicating  the  years 
of  overageness  per  pupil  is  significant  in  that  it  furnishes  a  ready 
index  with  reference-  to  the  overageness  in  a  particular  system. 
This  figure  is  found  by  taking  the  total  years  of  overageness 
and  dividing  by  the  total  number  of  pupils  in  the  system.  The 
range  is  surprising.  The  best  system,  Buffalo  Center,  on  this 
point  has  only  .152  years  overageness  for  each  pupil,  while  the 
poorest  system  has  .891  years  of  overageness  per  pupil,  almost  a 
year  of  overageness  for  each  pupil.  In  other  words  there  is  in 
this  system  nearly  one  year  of  retardation  for  every  pupil  in  the 
system.  This  is  according  to  the  age-grade  standard,  but  as  a 


—32— 

matter  of  fact  there  may  be  even  more  retardation  than  that,  be- 
cause of  the  fact  that  the  age-grade  standard  allows  an  extra 
year  for  normal  age,  and  because  of  the  further  fact  that  pupils 
enter  at  age  5  quite  generally  in  Iowa. 

The  next  column  of  the  table  (column  z)  shows  the  average 
age-spread,  grades  only  considered.  The  most  consistent  system 
shows  an  average  age-spread  of  but  4.6  years,  while  the  least 
consistent  shows  an  age-spread  almost  twice  as  great,  or  7.1.  That 
means  that  taking  this  latter  system  as  a  whole  there  is  an  aver- 
age difference  in  each  grade  in  the  system  of  7.1  years  between 
the  youngest  pupil  in  the  grade  and  the  oldest  pupil.  This  brings 
out  strongly  the  necessity  of  giving  attention  and  special  treat- 
ment to  the  overage  pupils  of  the  system. 

The  last  column  of  the  table  gives  the  combined  ranking.  This 
ranking  is  based  upon  four  items:  the  variation  of  grade  popula- 
tion ;  the  total  underage ;  the  years  of  overageness  per  pupil ;  and 
the  average  age-spread.  The  ranking  of  the  separate  systems  in 
any  one  of  these  items  is  indicated  by  the  small  index  figure  in 
front  of  each  item.  The  combined  ranking  of  Fayette  is  se- 
cured by  adding  1,  6,  3,  4  (=14) ,  expressing  the  rank  in  the 
several  items  just  referred  to.  Since  in  ranking  the  various  items 
the  best  is  marked  1,  the  lowest  combined  ranking  indicates  the 
best  system,  as  shown  by  a  combination  of  the  four  standards 
just  referred  to.  A  most  significant  thing  in  this  study  is  the 
wide  range  among  the  various  systems,  suggesting  as  it  does  the 
possibility  of  improvement  in  the  poorer  systems,  until  they  are 
brought  at  least  to  the  standard  of  the  median.  It  is  quite  likely 
that  the  study  of  any  one  system  through  a  period  of  years  would 
show  equally  significant  variation  in  all  of  these  items.  In  fact 
the  study  during  the  past  Summer  Session  of  one  of  these  systems 
through  a  period  of  twenty  years  did  show  a  variation  and  gradual 
improvement  that  was  quite  significant. 

GRADE  ELIMINATION. 

The  grade  elimination  in  the  twenty-nine  cities  under  study  as 
shoAvn  by  the  median  of  the  per  cent  of  the  largest  age-group  is 
as  follows : 

1st    grade 117      7th    grade 77 

2d    grade 84      8th    grade 76 

3d    grade 88      9th    grade 65 

4th    grade 95    10th    grade 49 

5th     grade 81    llth    grade 33 

6th    grade 78    12th    grade 33 


—33— 

Changing  the  basis  so  as  to  give  100  for  the  first  grade  our 
elimination  figures  become: 

1st  grade 100  7th  grade 66 

2d    grade # 71  8th  grade 65 

3d    grade 75  9th  grade 55 

4th    grade 81  10th  grade 42 

5th    grade 69  llth  grade 32 

6th    grade 67  12th  grade 28 

There  are  two  questions  with  reference  to  this  set  of  figures  in 
which  we  are  very  greatly  interested.  In  the  first  place,  is  it 
typical  of  Iowa  as  a  whole?  In  the  second  place,  how  does  it 
compare  with  the  United  States  as  a  whole,  or  with  different 
states  in  the  Union?  These  two  questions  may  best  be  answered 
by  a  brief  review  of  the  available  "relevant  data  with  reference  to 
grade  elimination. 

The  first  serious  effort  to  determine  the  elimination  of  pupils 
from  the  upper  grades  was  made  by  Dr.  E.  L.  Thorndike  (U.  S. 
Bureau  of  Education  Bulletin  No.  4,  1907).  His  study  was  an 
estimate  based  upon  the  data  from  twenty-three  cities  of  over 
25,000  population.  Dr.  Thorndike  estimated  that  the  general 
tendency  of  American  cities  of  25,000  and  over  in  1900  was  to 
keep  in  school  out  of  a  hundred  entering  pupils : 

91  till  grade  4  40  till  the  last  grammar  grade 

81  till  grade  5  27  till  the  first  year  high  school 

68  till  grade  6  17  till  the  second   year  high   school 

52  till  grade  7  12  till  the  third  year  high  school 

8  till  the  fourth  year  high  school 

This  study  turned  general  attention  to  the  fact  that  pupils  did 
not  remain  in  school  to  complete  the  work  of  the  upper  grades, 
and  since  that  time  we  have  had  a  general  movement  throughout 
the  country,  especially  in  city  systems,  looking  toward  a  more 
definite  study  of  this  question  through  the  making  of  annual  age- 
grade  tables.  But  as  yet  the  data  is  very  insufficient  for  total 
areas,  and  in  many  states  there  is  no  data  giving  a  distribution 
by  grades  or  by  ages.  Thornkike  estimated  that  his  figures  for 
the  country  as  a  whole  were  much  too  high.  Dr.  Woodward  at- 
tempted an  estimate  in  1901  (Report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Edu- 
cation, 1901,  page  1367),  and  gave  the  following  as  indicating 
the  gradual  elimination  of  pupils  from  the  first  grade  to  the 
fourth  year  in  high  school: 

1st  grade 100  7th  grade 16 

2d    grade 86  8th  grade 12 

3d    grade 77  9th  grade 5 

4th  grade 70  10th  grade 2 

5th  grade 43  llth  grade 1.9 

6th  grade 23  12th  grade 1.6 


—34— 

This  set  of  figures  is  transformed  from  the  original  estimate  by 
Dr.  Woodward  in  order  to  put  it  in  form  for  comparison  with 
the  other  data.  The  important  thing  to  be  noted  about  this  study 
is  that  it  is  an  estimate,  a  guess,  and  nothing  more.  The  data  was 
not  then  available,  and  is  not  now  available,  to  permit  accurate 
figures  for  the  entire  country. 

Dr.  Leonard  P.  Ayres  turned  his  attention  to  the  question  of 
grade  elimination,  and  in  his  "Laggards  in  the  Schools"  gave  us 
a  large  amount  of  valuable  data,  together  with  further  estimates 
and  tables  of  elimination. 

In  1911  Dr.  G.  D.  Stray er  undertook  to  extend  the  age-grade 
study  to  include  a  great  many  smaller  cities.  His  complete  study 
involved  318  cities;  186  of  them  less  than  25,000  population;  132 
of  them  over  25,000  population.  This  study  gave  a  grade-popu- 
lation elimination  curve  for  grades  1  to  12  as  follows: 

1st  grade 100     7th  grade 50 

2d  grade 81     8th  grade 39 

3d  grade 78     9th  grade 30 

4th  grade 75   10th  grade : 19 

5th  grade 68   llth  grade 13 

6th  grade 59   12th  grade 10' 

These  set  of  figures  is  deduced  from  the  median  grade  popula- 
tion, and  is  made  uniform  with  the  figures  indicated  above. 

The  thirteen  cities  in  Iowa  taken  from  Dr.  Stray er's  1911  Re- 
port gave  the  following  as  a  set  of  figures,  as  representing  the 
grade  population  from  grades  1  to  12: 

1st  grade 100     7th  grade 52 

2d    grade 78     8th  grade 45 

3d    grade 81     9th  grade 30 

4th  grade 77   10th  grade 22 

5th  grade 72   llth  grade 16 

6th  grade 69   12th  grade 12 

This  set  of  figures  is  deduced  from  the  median  grade  popula- 
the  elimination  curve  for  the  318  cities  as  shown  by  Dr.  Strayer's 
study.  The  thirteen  cities  involved  in  this  study  are:  Burling- 
ton, Clinton,  Creston,  Council  Bluffs,  Des  Moines,  Dubuque,  Iowa 
City,  Keokuk,  Marshalltowii,  Mason  City,  Muscatine,  Oskaloosa, 
Ottumwa. 

Coming  to  the  twenty-nine  cities  in  the  study  by  the  Iowa  Sur- 
vey Club,  taking  the  median  of  the  grade  population  as  a  basis, 
and  reducing  to  similar  form  for  comparison,  we  have  (as  indi- 


cated  above)    the  following  as  showing  the  grade  elimination  in 

the  twenty-nine  Iowa  cities: 

1st  grade 100     7th  grade. 66 

2d    grade 71     8th  grade 65 

3d    grade 75     9th  grade 55 

4th  grade 81  10th  grade 42 

5th  grade 69  llth  grade 27 

6th  grade 67  12th  grade 28 


—36— 

T 
L 

These  figures  are  for  smaller  cities  of  Iowa,  and  they  show  a 
considerably  larger  number  in  the  upper  grades,  just  as  the  thir- 
teen relatively  smaller  Iowa  cities  show  slightly  better  than  Dr. 
Strayer's  318  cities.  The  contrast  may  be  brought  out  by  ar- 
ranging the  three  groups  of  figures  together: 

Dr.  Strayer's  318  cities,  1911 — 

Grades  1  to  12—100,  81,  78,  75,  68,  59,  50,  39,  30,  19,  13,  10. 
Dr.  Strayer's  13  Iowa  cities,  1911 — 

Grades  1  to  12—100,  78,  81,  77,  72,  69,  52,  45,  30,  22,  16,  12. 
29  Iowa  cities,  1913 — 

Grades  1  to  12—100,  71,  75,  81,  69,  67,  66,  65,  55,  42,  27,  28. 

Apparently  Iowa  shows  better  than  the  country  as  a  whole, 
and  the  smaller  cities  very  much  better  than  the  larger  cities.  An 
examination  of  the  data,  however,  offers  an  easy  explanation.  The 
small  cities  with  comparatively  small  numbers  in  the  upper 
grades,  are  greatly  influenced  by  even  small  numbers  coming  into 
the  upper  grades  and  high  school  as  tuition  pupils,  and  this  ap- 
parently offers  all  the  explanation  needed.  Advancing  through 
the  upper  grades  the  school  draws  from  a  constantly  widening 
area.  Pupils  come  in  from  the  country  round  about  for  the  first 
year  high  school,  for  the  second,  for  the  third.  But  for  the  third 
and  fourth  year  of  the  high  school,  they  come  in  also  from  smaller 
high  schools  which  have  maintained  a  one,  two  or  three-year 
course.  The  result  is  that  many  of  the  schools  involved  in  this 
study,  practically  all  of  them  accredited  schools,  show  the  unusual 
situation  of  more  in  the  first  year  high  school  than  in  any  other 
grade  in  the  school.  'The  general  curve  shows  also  a  sudden  up- 
turn again  in  the  fourth  year  (see  figures  1  and  2).  This  ap- 
parently is  all  the  explanation  that  is  necessary.  As  one  superin- 
tendent wrote,  "Of  the  twenty-nine  pupils  in  my  eighth  grade, 
twenty-eight  of  them  came  from  outside  the  corporation. ' ' 

This  data  with  reference  to  the  cities  simply  calls  attention  to 
the  fact  that  we  must  have  returns  from  all  of  the  schools  over  a 
total  area  of  sufficient  size  to  enable  us  to  form  a  correct  judg- 
ment. The  report  of  the  U.  S.  Commissioner  of  Education  for 
1911,  attempts  to  give  an  elimination  table,  but  it  is  clearly  stated 
that  this  is  an  estimate.  The  figures  there  given  for  the  entire 
United  States  are: 

1st  grade 100     7th  grade 26 

2d    grade 60     8th  grade 19 

3d    grade 58     9th  grade 11 

4th  grade 56    10th  grade 7 

5th  grade 48    llth  grade 5 

6th  grade 33    12th  grade 3 


—37— 

This  may  or  may  not  be  a  good  estimate.  It  cannot  be  con- 
sidered accurate  or  conclusive. 

Last  year  the  Iowa  Survey  Club  collected  statistics  from  291 
country  schools  in  twenty-five  counties  of  Iowa.  These,  how- 
ever, furnished  data  only  for  the  first  eight  grades.  The  returns 
indicate  the  following  elimination: 

1st  grade 100  5th  grade ..." 53 

2d    grade 52  6th  grade 46 

3d  grade 52  7th  grade 55 

4th  grade 53  8th  grade 53 

Although  over  four  thousand  children  were  involved  in  this 
study,  it  is  manifestly  too  small  to  justify  any  conclusions. 


—38— 

The  1911  report  for  Illinois  furnishes  an  elimination  table,  but 
the  discussion  does  not  indicate  how  authoritative  this  is  to  be 
considered.  The  returns  are  as  follows: 

1st  grade 100     7th  grade 40 

2d    grade. 70     8th  grade 46 

3d    grade. 67     9th  grade 16 

4th  grade 68   10th  grade 11 

5th  grade 54   llth  grade 7 

6th  grade 56   12th  grade 6 

Through  the  courtesy  and  co-operation  of  the  County  Superin- 
tendent, D.  C.  Mclntosh,  the  complete  returns  for  all  children, 
city,  town  and  country,  were  secured  from  a  single  county  in 
Indiana  (Greene  Co.)  with  the  following  results: 

1st  grade 100     7th  grade 40 

2d  grade 63     8th  grade 39 

3d  grade 67     9th  grade 17 

4th  grade 65   10th  grade 13 

5th  grade 59    llth  grade 9 

6th  grade 47   12th  grade 8 

Through  the  courtesy  and  energetic  co-operation  of  Superin- 
tendent M.  L.  Howell,  the  age-grade  tables  for  all  of  the  schools 
of  "Wright  County  have  been  secured.  This  means  not  only  the 
eight  city  systems  but  the  120  one-room  schools  and  the  two 
parochial  schools.  Every  child  in  Wright  county  who  was  in 
school  on  September  first  is  included  in  this  study.  The  fact  that 
one  county  superintendent  was  able  to  secure  this  data  taken 
with  further  fact  that  an  interested  superintendent  in  Indiana 
co-operated  in  the  study  by  furnishing  the  same  data,  indicates  the 
possibility  of  applying  methods  of  supervision  to  the  country 
schools  which  are  more  or  less  common  at  the  present  time  in 
city  systems.  The  State  Department  has  secured  data  from  four 
additional  counties  but  it  came  too  late  for  use  in  this  study;  be- 
cause of  the  additional  data  called  for  the  returns  from  the  four 
counties  are  not  quite  so  complete  as  from  the  two  counties  in- 
cluded in  this  study.  Because  of  the  significance  of  an  age-grade 
table  covering  an  entire  county  the  one  for  Wright  county  is  in- 
cluded herewith  as  indicated  in  Table  VII. 


—39— 


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—40— 


TABLE  VIII.— GRADE  POPULATION. 

(Grades) 


1 

2 

3 

* 

5 

6 

7 

8 

3 

10 

11 

12 

1 

Thorndike  1900,  estimate, 
23  cities 

114 

113 

106 

94 

SO 

63 

45 

2 

3 

Woodward      1901,      esti- 
mate, entire  U.  6  
Illinois   1911,    all  school, 
estimate  doubtless 

130 

112 

101 

91 

57 

30 

21 

15 

7 

3.5 

2.5 

2 

4 

Entire  U.  S.  1911,  esti- 
mate   

5 

6 

Strayer   1911,    318  cities. 
lowa  1911,  13  cities  from 
Strayer 

140 
135 

113 
105 

110 
111 

106 
105 

96 
98 

83 
93 

70 
70 

55 
60 

42 
41 

27 
30 

19 

22 

14 
16 

7 

8 

Iowa    1913,    29    average 
cities,      Iowa      School 
Survey   Club   
Iowa     1913,     291     county 
schools  in  25  counties, 
Iowa     School     Survey 
Club 

117 
152 

84 
79 

88 
79 

95 
81 

81 
81 

78 
70 

77 
84 

76 
81 

65 

49 

32 

33 

9 

Indiana  1912,  Greene 
county  complete 

173 

108 

115 

112 

lOfl 

80 

m 

67 

29 

20 

17 

15 

10 

Iowa  1914,  Wright 
county  complete  

213 

97 

106 

111 

103 

88 

87 

76 

56' 

38 

41 

29 

TABLE  IX.— GRADE  POPULATION  (DERIVED  TABLE). 

(Grades) 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

S 

Q 

10 

11 

12 

1 

Thorndike    1900,     (enter- 
ing   group    instead    of 
grade  population 

100 

91 

81 

68 

52 

40 

07 

17 

1? 

8 

2 

Woodward  1901 

100 

?6 

77 

70 

43 

23 

16 

12 

2 

1.9 

1.6 

1 

Illinois    1911 

100 

70 

67 

63 

54 

56 

40 

46 

16 

11 

7 

6 

4 

Entire  U.    S.    1911  

100 

60 

18 

50 

48 

S3 

26 

19 

11 

7 

ft 

8 

0 
5 

7 
8 

Iowa  1911,  13  cities  
Strayer  1911,   318  cities.  _ 
Iowa  1913,    29  cities  
Iowa    1913,    291    country 

100 
100 
100 

100 

78 
81 
71 

59 

81 

78 
75 

59 

77 
75 
81 

53 

72 
68 
69 

53 

69 
59 
67 

46 

52 

50 
66 

55 

45 
39 

65 

53 

30 
30 
55 

22 
19 
42 

16 
13 

27 

12 
10 
28 

9 

Indiana      1912,       Greene 

100 

63 

67 

65 

59 

47 

40 

W 

17 

13 

9 

8 

10 

Iowa         1914,         Wright 
county   

100 

46 

50 

52 

48 

41 

41 

36 

26 

18 

19 

14 

TABLE   X.— GRADE   POPULATION. 

COMPARING   BOYS   AND   GIRLS. 
(Grades) 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

•  [ 

10 

11 

12 

5 

Strayer   1911,    slSfBoys. 

145 

117 

112 

107 

97 

82 

67 

50 

37 

22 

16 

11 

cities  [Girls- 

135 

110 

107 

105 

95 

85 

72 

60 

47 

32 

22 

18 

6 

Iowa      1911,       13$Boys- 

134 

110 

111 

105 

104 

92 

66 

€0 

38 

25 

16 

13 

cities  |Girls— 

1S'7 

100 

111 

104 

93 

95 

74 

61 

45 

35 

28 

20 

7 

Iowa   cities   miss-  f  Boys  _ 

175 

107 

116 

118 

105 

94 

85 

83 

53 

45 

27 

26 

ing    }Girls~ 

145 

91 

128 

96 

89 

85 

78 

92 

68 

55 

40 

36 

9 

Indiana    1912,$Boys. 

172 

10-1 

116 

111 

92 

71 

60 

57 

29 

19 

12 

12 

Greeno  county--?Gir]s— 

162 

119 

107 

108 

107 

88 

77 

77 

28 

23 

18 

17 

10 

Iowa  1914,  Wright  f  Boys  - 

211 

97 

105' 

109 

104 

85 

81 

56 

42 

34 

32 

21 

county  JGirlS— 

206 

94 

103 

113 

99 

86 

90 

94 

68 

42 

49 

37 

—41— 

Table  VIII  brings  together  the  several  attempts  to  determine 
the  extent  of  elimination.  These  are  made  uniform  by  being  re- 
duced to  a  common  base,  giving  100  for  the  grade  having  the 
largest  group.  In  each  case  this  is  the  first  grade.  In  using  this 
table,  particular  attention  is  called  to  the  fact  that  many  of  the 
attempts  are  estimates,  and  that  others  are  modified  by  particular 
conditions. 

Aside  from  the  material  contained  in  Dr.  Strayer's  study,  that 
collected  by  the  Iowa  Survey  Club  and  the  data  from  Wright 
County,  it  seemed  that  there  is  no  way  to  determine  how  much 
elimination  there  is  in  the  Iowa  schools.  The  only  other  attack 
upon  this  problem  seems  to  be  through  the  per  cent  that  the  high 
school  enrollment  is  of  the  total  enrollment.  Using  the  1913  Iowa 
Directory  as  a  basis,  we  find  that  there  are  41,973  pupils  in  the 
high  school,  which  is  8.2%  of  the  total  enrollment,  the  total  en- 
rollment being  507,845. 

In  Illinois  the  high  school  enrollment  is  7.5%  of  the  total  en- 
rollment (1911-12).  while  the  commissioner's  estimate  for  the 
United  States  as  a  whole  is  that  the  high  school  enrollment  is 
6.3%  of  the  total.  In  Massachusetts  the  high  school  enrollment 
is  12.7%  of  the  total  enrollment  (1911-12).  This  shows  Iowa 
slightly  better  than  Illinois  and  the  United  States  as  a  whole,  but 
not  so  good  as  Massachusetts. 

Turning  to  another  table  furnished  by  the  1912  Report  of  the 
U.  S.  Commission,  p.  8,  Vol.  II,  we  find  that  Iowa  had  in  school 
in  1910-11,  83.93%  of  the  population  between  the  ages  of  5  and  18. 
There  were  but  four  other  states,  Maine,  Nebraska,  Kansas  and 
Colorado,  that  are  reported  as  making  a  better  showing.  Illinois 
was  reported  as  having  only  70.8%  of  her  children  between  the 
ages  of  5  and  18  in  school.  Taking  this  same  table  and  referring 
to  the  per  cent  of  the  total  population  enrolled  in  the  school,  we 
find  that  Iowa  is  reported  as  having  22.6%  of  the  total  population 
enrolled,  and  that  there  are  eleven  other  states  ranking  above  Iowa, 
the  ranking  states  being :  North  Dakota,  Nebraska,  Kansas,  North 
Carolina,  South  Carolina,  Tennessee,  Mississippi,  Arkansas,  Okla- 
homa, Utah  and  Idaho.  The  returns  seem  to  indicate  that  com- 
pared with  other  states  children  go  to  school  well  in  Iowa  and  stay 
in  school  well  but  the  figures  do  not  seem  to  indicate  that  this  dif- 
ference is  very  great.  Possibly  the  figures  indicating  seven-tenths 
of  1%  more  in  the  high  schools  of  Iowa  than  Illinois  are  about 
correct.  Figures  are  available  making  possible  comparison  of  the 


number  of  the  total  high  school  pupils  remaining  to  the  fourth 
year  high  school  for  three  states:  For  Louisiana  12%  of  the  high 
school  pupils  in  1910-11  were  seniors ;  in  Illinois  14.7%  were  seniors; 
in  Iowa  1913-14,  16.7%  were  in  the  twelfth  year.  This  again  indi- 
cates that  in  Iowa  the  pupils  are  held  to  the  last  year  of  high 
school,  a  little  better  than  in  Louisiana  or  Illinois.  The  corrected 
high  school  statistics  for  Iowa  for  the  year  1913-14  as  furnished 
by  Mr.  Fuller  of  the  State  Department  of  Public  Instruction  and 
Mr.  Foster,  inspector  for  the  State  Board  of  Education,  are  as  fol- 
lows: 

Accredited     Non-Accredited       Total 

9th    year...     12,570  4,402  16,972  36.6% 

10th    year...       9,246  3,106  12,352  26.5% 

llth    year...       7,516  1,905  9,421  20.2% 

12th    year...       6,689  1,112  7,801  16.7% 

Totals    ...     36,021  10,525  46,546  100 

Taking  these  figures  instead  of  the  figures  of  the  Iowa  Educa- 
tional Directory,  as  a  basis,  we  get  9.1  (instead  of  8.2)  as  the  per 
cent  of  the  total  enrollment  found  in  the  high  schools  of  the  state. 
If  to  the  number  of  high  school  pupils  here  given  we  add  4,000 
more  for  the  unclassified,  post  graduates  and  others  as  suggested 
by  the  office  of  high  school  inspection,  we  get  9.9%  as  the  figure 
showing  per  cent  of  total  enrollment  in  the  high  school.  This 
figure  gives  the  high  school  situation  the  benefit  of  all  doubt,  but 
even  then  is  not  unusually  high. 

It  is  significant  that  according  to  the  1913  directory,  11,717  high 
school  pupils  are  tuition  pupils.  This  means  that  they  come  in 
from  rural  districts  and  smaller  towns,  The  tuition  pupils  are 
28%  of  the  total  high  school  enrollment  in  Iowa.  In  Illinois,  the 
tuition  pupils  in  the  high  schools  are  10.2%  of  the  total  enrollment. 

It  would  not  be  safe  to  conclude  that  a  final  table  for  the  entire 
state  would  show  a  condition  in  Iowa  with  reference  to  elimination 
that  is  far  superior  to  that  of  any  other  state.  All  of  the  figures 
available  indicate  that  the  conditions  prevailing  in  Iowa  are  very 
similar  to  those  prevailing  in  other  good  states,  and  that  there  is 
an  enormous  amount  of  elimination.  Possibly  of  each  100  pupils 
entering  school,  60  to  70  remain  to  the  eighth  grade  and  25  or  30  to 
complete  the  fourth  year  high  school.  No  one  knows,  however,  just 
what  the  figures  are.  What  we  need  is  complete  returns  from 
every  school  corporation  in  the  form  of  age-grade  tables.  This  is 
a  possibility,  and  could  be  secured  by  the  expenditure  of  a  small 
amount  of  energy  in  educating  the  reporting  officers.  We  should 


—43— 

really  have  separate  showing  for  rural  schools,  for  villages  and 
small  towns,  and  for  cities.  It  would  then  be  well  if  each  county 
were  shown  by  a  separate  table,  making  possible  a  comparison  of 
one  part  of  the  state  with  another,  and  each  of  these  with  the  state 
as  a  whole,  as  shown  by  a  final  table.  Comparison  between  boys 
and  girls  should  also  be  made  possible.  It  is  useless  to  attempt 
to  determine  our  present  status  until  we  have  definite  data.  Any 
particular  system  of  schools  should  go  a  step  further,  and  should 
have  the  individual  record  card  for  each  pupil  showing  among 
other  things  why  the  pupil  leaves  school  when  he  does  leave.  The 
individual  record  card  is  recommended  by  the  Department  of 
Superintendents  of  the  National  Education  Association.  Until  we 
have  such  definite  data  it  will  be  best  to  act  upon  the  evidence  which 
we  have,  and  use  every  means  to  make  school  work  better  in  sub- 
ject-matter, and  in  method;  and  make  every  effort,  likewise,  to 
train  our  teachers  to  a  high  point  of  efficiency  in  order  that  we 
may  hold  our  pupils  for  as  much  education  as  possible. 


TABLE  I.— SUMMARY  OP  PUPILS'  PERSONAL  REPORTS. 

MONEY     EARNED     WHILE     IN     SCHOOL— CHOICE     OF     VOCATION, 

GRADES   12,   11,   10,   9,   8,  AND   7. 

MATERIAL  C'OlLLE'OTED  FROM  -DBS  MOINES  COUNTY. 

I.     NUMBER  OF  PUPILS  REPORTING. 


Grade 

Boys 

Girls 

Total 

Twelfth 

46 

66 

112 

Eleventh 

57 

66 

123 

Tenth 

68 

109 

177 

Ninth 

104 

113 

217 

Eighth 

166 

191 

357 

Seventh 

72 

103 

175 

Totals- 

513 

648 

1,161 

II.    AGES  OiF  PUPILS  REPORTING. 


Grade 

Age 

Average  Age 

Twelfth                                _  

From  16  to  20 

17  yrs.  10  mos. 

Eleventh                           --                        _    _.           

From  15  to  20 

17  yrs.     8  mos. 

Tenth                                            _        —      . 

From  13  to  19 

15  yrs.     6  mos. 

Ninth                                                                   —    - 

From  12  to  19 

15  yrs.     1  mo. 

Eighth         

Ftrom  12  to  20 

13  yrs.   10  mos. 

Seventh 

From  12  to  17 

13  yrs.     5  mos. 

III.    EARNING  MONET  WHILE  IN  SCHOOL. 


Grade 

Boys 

Girls 

Total 

Twelfth 

32 

7 

39 

Eleventh 

35 

5 

40 

Tenth       

50 

49 

99 

Ninth 

40 

5 

45 

Eighth 

69 

27 

96 

Seventh             -  

25 

8 

33 

IV.     ESTIMATED  AMOUNT  EARNED  THIS  SCHOOL  TEAR. 


Grade 

Boys 

Girls 

Total 

Twelfth 

$     3,188 

$           80 

$      3  268 

Eleventh 

2,128 

26 

2  154 

Tenth 

2,288 

254 

2  542 

Ninth 

2,077 

2  146 

Eighth 

2,067 

336 

2,403 

Seventh                                                                  -      

465 

112 

577 

Totals- 

$    12,213 

$         877 

$    13,090 

When  earned:    Before  school,  102;  after  school,  192;  Saturdays,  262;  vacations,  517. 


—45— 

V.     EARNINGS  iLAST  SUMMER  VACATION. 
No.'  of  days  pupils  worked  for  pay,  23,060. 

Amount  earned  by  Twelfth  Grade  pupils... $     4,460 

Amount  earned  by  Eleventh    Grade   pupils 3,690 

Amount  earned  by  Tenth   Grade   pupils 2,755 

Amount  earned  by  Ninth  Grade  pupils  2,704 

Amount  earned  by  Eighth  Grade  pupils  3,320 

Amount  earned  by  Seventh  Grade  pupils  - 559 


Total $    17,448 


VI.     HIGH  SCHOOL  COURSE  AND  COLLEGE  ATTENDANCE. 
Number  Expecting  to  Take  a  High  School  Course  for  the  Given  Number  of  Years. 


Grade 

1  Year 

2  Years 

3  Years 

4  Years 

5  Years 

Twelfth    

88 

15 

Eleventh    

107 

23 

Tenth    _. 

6 

5 

155 

8 

Ninth    

8 

15 

1 

174 

13 

Eighth    _ 

12 

21 

208 

5 

Seventh 

3 

12 

7 

51 

10 

Totals... 

23 

54 

17 

983 

74 

Number  Intending  to  Go  to  College. 


From  the  Twelfth  Grade  . 
From  the  Eleventh  Grade 
From  the  Tenth  Grade  ... 

From  the  Ninth  Grade 

From  the  Eighth  Grade  _. 
From  the  Seventh  Grade  . 


Total. 


72 


144 
52 


503 


VII.     VOCATIONS  ALREADY  OHOSEN. 


Number  from  the  Twelfth   Grade  . 
Number  from  the  Eleventh   Grade 

Number  from  the  Tenth  grade 

Number  from  the  Ninth  Grade  

Number  from  the  Eighth  Grade  _. 
Number  from  the  Seventh   Grade   . 


Total. 


93 
105 
175 

78 


5T8 


Number  Taking  a  Course  in  School  to  Prepare  for  the  Vocation  Chosen. 


From  the  Twelfth  Grade  . 
From  the  Eleventh  Grade 
From  the  Tenth  Grade  ... 
From  the  Ninth   Grade 
From  the  Eighth  Grade 
From  the  Seventh  Grade  . 


Total. 


—46— 


BY  WHOM  INFLUENCED  TO  MAKE  CHOICE  OF  VOCATION. 


Grade 

Teachers 

Parents 

Relatives 

Friends 

Class- 
mates 

Ministers 

Others 

Twelfth 

13 

48 

15 

23 

(j 

3 

13 

Eleventh    _ 

14 

52 

14 

12 

3 

2 

g 

Tenth                       

10 

78 

22 

19 

2 

o 

3 

Ninth 

5 

98 

17 

14 

2 

g 

g 

Eighth    

Seventh 

19 
13 

130 
71 

20 
7 

26 

Q 

3 
2 

0 
0 

4 
j 

Totals 

74 

472 

101 

100 

18 

g 

37 

Total  number  who  wish  advice  as  to  choice  of  vocation,  535. 


VIII.     LIST  OF  VOCATIONS  CHOSEN. 


Teaching    190 

Farming  :  77 

Stenography    

Bookkeeping    27 

Business   26 

Domestic  science  teaching 25 

Electrical   engineering  23 

Dress  maker 19 

Machinist  13 

Lawyer   

Physician — _-  12 

Nurse   12 

House  keeper 11 

B.   R.  work  10 

Civil  service 

Librarian    7 

Dentistry   

Kindergarten   teaching  

R.   R.   engineering  6 

Milliner  6 

Clerk    5 

Druggist    4 

Chemical  engineering  4 

Dramatics   _.  3 


Architect    3 

Music  teaching  2 

Mining   engineering  2 

Civil  engineering  2 

Church  work 2 

Forestry  _._ 2 

Physical  culture  training 1 

Y.  M.  C.  A.  work - 1 

Insurance    1 

Aviator    .. 1 

Mechanics    1 

Draughtsman    1 

Barber  1 

Carpenter    1 

U.  S.  Navy  __ l 

Author    1 

Science  1 

Missionary    l 

Serving  1 

Photographer   1 

Plumber   — 1 

Hunter    1 

Illustrator    1 


NUMBER  CHOOSING  FATHER'S  VOCATION. 


Farmer 43 

Physician  2 

Druggist  4 

Lawyer   1 

Business   2 

Moulder    1 


Engineer  — ___ 

Mechanic    

R.  R.  clerk 

Blacksmith   

Musician    

Clerk - 


—47— 

TABLE  II.— SUMMARY  OF  REPORTS  SHOWING  GRADES  OP  PUPILS 

IN   SCHOOL. 

GRADES  IN  SCHOOL. 


Age 

6 
6 

7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 

Males 
Females 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

Total 

Total  by 
Grades 

Males    

m 



—  - 

112 
90 

107 
125 

129 
146 

129 
115 

106 
120 

112 
132 

103 
99 

127 
125 

86 
105 

79 
96 

81 
86 

80 

63 

26 
65 

27 
32 

11 
21 

6 
16 

208 
232 
275 
244 
226 
244 
202 
252 
191 
175 
167 
143 
81 
59 
32 
22 

Females    

95 

1 



Males    -    

81 
95 

46 
34 

18 
4 

4 

1 

1 
3 

1 

20 
24 

00 
73 

44 
38 

25 
18 

14 
2 

2 

4 

1 

5 

4 

22 
36 

43 
42 

27 
37 

25 

28 

12 

12 

7 
4 

2 
3 

1 



Females 

2 

1 
2 

20 
25 

35 
40 

34 
37 

26 
18 

20 

23 

8 
3 

1 

1 

Males 

..__ 

4 
5 

11 

18 

28 
45 

26 
25 

21 

24 

7 
10 

12 
8 

2 
3 

2 

1 

Females    

Males   

*•' 

Females    

1 

2 
4 

6 
12 

21 
24 

30 
29 

12 
9 

13 
10 

6 
4 

5 
2 



Males 

2 

2 

4 
5 

11 
13 

20 

20 

13 

23 

17 
23 

13 

10 

12 
8 



Females 

Males     -  — 

Females    

Males    

3 
3 

22 

20 

30 
40 

17 
28 

23 
24 

24 
16 

1 

Females 

Males   

1 

5 

5 

11 
15 

7 
13 

18 
31 

16 

8 

7 

1 
4 

1 

Females               j 

r 

Males    __ 

1 

2 
2 

9 
9 

14 
5 

6 
11 

8 

8 

3 

"T 
1 





Females 

Males    .    

2 
4 

5 
9 

11 

7 

7 
7 

2 
4 

2 

1 

1 

4 

10 

8 
16 

9 
12 

1 
11 

2 
5 

79 

Females    

Males 

Females 

Males 





Females    

Males   

Females    _ 

1 

1 
1 

2 

1 

1 

2 

2 
3 

3 

1 

12 

8 
5 

4 
3 

3 

Males    ... 

Females    —  

Males   .—  

Females 

1 

Males   

1 

195 

1 

4 

3 

2 

84 

61 

Totals  by  grades 

496 

326 

311 

257 

296 

207 

289 

149 



2,753 

—48— 


TABLE  III.—  ELIMINATION—  AGE  AND  GRADE  OF  LEAVING—  OCCUPATION  ENTERED  (MONROE  COUNTY). 

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TRUANCY,  DELINQUENCY,  AND  JUVENILE  COURT 

REPORT. 

QUESTIONAIRE  NUMBER  7. 

In  compiling  the  statistics  on  the  truancy,  delinquency,  and 
juvenile  court  schedule,  the  most  striking  fact  that  seems  to  develop 
is  the  meagerness  of  real  statistics.  It  would  seem  that  very  few 
schools  are  able  to  make  a  survey  of  their  own  field  and  know 
exactly  the  vital  conditions  which  affect  their  school  life  from 
available  recorded  statistics. 

This  questionnaire  has  had  to  do  with  those  things  which  reveal 
the  weaknesses  of  the  public  school  system,  and  yet  but  few  schools 
seem  to  have  any  definite  records  of  the  amount  of  truancy,  delin- 
quency and  the  various  causes  and  remedies  which  are  in  operation 
within  their  own  system. 

Some  650  questionnaires  were  sent  out,  and  of  these  44  have  been 
returned,  distributed  as  follows:  21  from  rural  schools;  14  from 
towns  under  3,000 ;  6  from  cities  of  from  3,000  to  10,000 ;  3  from 
cities  of  10,000  to  40,000,  and  only  one  from  cities  of  40,000  or 
over. 

There  seems  to  be  no  general  misunderstanding  with  reference  to 
what  constitutes  truancy  or  delinquency.  The  definitions  given  on 
most  blanks  were  quite  in  accordance  with  the  general  idea,  with  the 
exception,  perhaps,  that  truancy  was  most  often  confined  to  absence 
without  knowledge  of  parent,  rather  than  to  an  absence  without 
a  legal  excuse. 

RURAL  SCHOOLS. 

Of  the  21  rural  schools  reporting,  only  3  gave  their  total  at- 
tendance; consequently,  it  was  impossible  to  figure  truant  per- 
centages in  the  general  rural  report.  In  the  3  rural  schools  report- 
ing the  total  attendance,  however,  the  percentage  of  truancy  varied 
from  50  to  75  per  cent  of  the  attendance. 

One  hundred  fifteen  cases  of  truancy  were  reported  in  the  21 
schools,  distributed  as  follows: 
•  Grade:  12345678 

Boys:  10       6     11       9     12       7     12     10 

Girls:  65767214 


—50— 

These  cases  of  truancy  were  distributed  through  the  following 
ages: 

Age:  7       8       9     10     11     12     13     14     15     16 

Boys:  14       6       8       5       5     11       9       7       8       4 

Girls:  7328922041 

It  will  therefore  be  seen  that  in  the  rural  schools  there  seems  to 
be  no  special  point  at  which  we  find  the  maximum  of  truancy 
either  in  respect  to  grade  or  age.  It  would  seem  evident,  however, 
that  grades  6,  7  and  8  contain  a  large  number  of  over  age  pupils. 

The  causes  assigned  for  truancy  were  as  follows:  Kept  out  for 
work,  53 ;  sickness,  41 ;  dislike  of  school,  11 ;  over  and  under  age, 
10 ;  desire  for  work,  7 ;  lack  of  parental  control,  6 ;  physical  defects, 
4 ;  bad  company,  4 ;  trouble  with  teacher,  3 ;  dislike  for  one  study,  2. 

There  were  no  juvenile  court  cases  reported.  The  effective  rem- 
edies mentioned  were  as  follows: 

1.  School  attendance  officer,  although  no  intimation  was  given 
as  to  how  he  operated  in  the  country. 

2.  Special  classes,  although  none  of  these  reports  intimated  in 
what  way  this  remedy  was  used. 

Most  rural  schools  reported  seemed  to  indicate  that  manual  train- 
ing and  domestic  science  would  prove  helpful,  as  also  would  some- 
thing in  the  line  of  pre-vocational  classes.  The  following  remarks 
were  taken  from  some  of  these  papers,  and  are  interesting: 

No.  17  reports:  "I  taught  domestic  science  and  served  warm 
lunches  during  the  winter  term,  which  greatly  increased  our  at- 
tendance. I  have  taught  agriculture  and  tried  to  interest  the 
boys  in  that,  but  could  not  obtain  manual  training  equipment." 

No.  21 :  "I  think  that  more  and  better  apparatus  in  school  for 
performing  experiments  and  for  illustration  would  serve  as  a  good 
remedy  for  truancy  and  delinquency." 

No.  15:  "I  suggest  that  work  be  made  of  more  practical  value 
to  pupils  and  unnecessary  work  and  study  eliminated." 

No.  14:  "I  really  have  no  suggestions  as  I  have  had  no  experi- 
ence with  truancy  or  delinquency,  but  last  year  in  my  small  coun- 
try school  we  had  a  warm  dinner  served.  We  cooked  just  one 
thing  each  time  on  our  heating  stove.  This  spring  we  had  an 
egg-shell  garden  and  tested  seed  corn  in  rag-baby  testers.  Then 
we  used  the  credit  system  for  home  work  as  suggested  in  the  Iowa 
Teachers'  handbook.  These  things  all  created  deep  interest  in  the 
school  work  on  the  part  of  parents,  as  well  as  pupils." 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

4 

7 

6 

8 

2 

11 

2 

4 

0 

0 

3 

0 

0 

0 

1 

0 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

2 

8 

6 

4 

11 

5 

0 

5 

2 

1 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

0 

2 

1 

0 

0 

—51— 

TOWNS  AND  CITIES  UNDER  3,000. 

In  towns  and  cities  under  3,000  inhabitants  13  reported.  Four 
of  the  13  reported  no  cases  of  truancy  or  delinquency.  The  re- 
maining cases  were  distributed  as  follows : 

Grade : 
Boys: 
Girls : 

Age: 
Boys: 
Girls : 

Here  the  marked  points  of  maximum  truancy  and  delinquency 
would  seem  to  be  at  grade  6  and  age  11  for  the  boys.  Of  the  3 
truant  girls  reported  in  grade  3,  two  were  found  to  be  13  years  of 
a£e.  The  peculiarity  of  this  report  is  that  the  age  of  maximum 
truancy  and  the  grade  of  maximum  truancy  are  not  coincident. 

The  assigned  causes  rank  as  follows :  Illness,  12 ;  lack  of  parental 
control,  13;  bad  company,  8;  incorrigibility,  5;  over  and  under 
age,  3 ;  kept  out  for  work,  3 ;  poverty,  3 ;  trouble  with  the  teachers,  1. 

Contributing  causes  were  assigned  mostly  to  the  matter  of  poor 
environment.  Only  1  school  reported  juvenile  court  cases.  Of 
these  cases,  2  were  at  age  12,  1  at  10  and  the  other  at  13.  All  4 
cases  were  committed  to  the  industrial  school. 

The  most  effective  remedy  reported  was  the  truant  officer  and 
of  nearly  equal  importance  was  placed  aid  to  poor  by  means  of 
books,  clothing,  etc.  Only  2  were  positive  that  manual  training 
and  domestic  science  was  a  definite  •  aid ;  1  was  positive  that  p  re- 
vocational  classes  would  be  of  special  help.  Several  others  ex- 
pressed the  opinion  that  they  might  be  helpful  and  3  were  of  the 
opinion  that  neither  manual  training  nor  pre-vocational  work 
would  prove  an  effective  remedy.  The  remainder  either  made  no 
reply  to  the  questions  or  answered  that  they  had  no  data  on  the 
subject. 

No.  26  thought  that  the  most  effective  remedy  was  to  find  out 
what  each  individual  was  interested  in,  and  through  this  interest, 
arouse  interest  in  other  branches. 

No.  29  found  free  textbooks  one  of  the  most  efficient  remedies. 

No.  30  found  that  smoking  causes  boys  to  be  listless  and  creates 
a  lack  of  desire  for  study. 

No.  31  reports  no  cases  of  truancy,  but  reports  that  1  eighth 
grade  boy  quit  school  because  he  disliked  the  work  demanded.  He 
had  been  three  years  in  the  eighth  grade. 


—52— 

CITIES  OF  FROM  THREE  TO  TEN  THOUSAND. 

From  cities  of  3,000  to  10,000,  6  replies  were  received.  Of  these 
2  reported  no  record  of  truancy  or  delinquency.  Neither  was  suffi- 
cient data  concerning  enrollment  given  whereby  percentages  could 
be  completed  to  be  of  much  value.  In  these  6  cities,  truancies  were 
classified  as  follows: 

Grade:  12345678 

Boys:  4       2       8       5     10       6       8     10 

Girls:  110. 10110 

Age:  7       8       9     10     11     12     13     14     15     16 

Boys:  3469177     12      41 

Girls:  0210001100 

In  this  report  the  maximum  of  truancy  seems  to  have  been  in 
grades  5  and  8.  The  maximum  by  age  was  in  years  10  and  14. 
The  causes  assigned  were  dislike  of  school,  43 ;  incorrigibility,  22 ; 
over  and  under  age,  30 ;  bad  company,  14 ;  desire  for  work,  5 ;  sick- 
ness, 5 ;  kept  out  for  work,  4 ;  poverty,  3 ;  lack  of  parental  control, 
3 ;  trouble  with  teacher,  3. 

Contributing  causes  were  mostly  assigned  to  environment.  The 
second  contributing  cause  was  the  separation  of  parents.  Two 
schools  reported  juvenile  court  cases,  4  in  one  case  and  3  in  the 
other.  Two  of  these  7  cases  were  committed  to  parents  and  rela- 
tives, 2  dismissed  from  court  and  1  continued,  and  2  placed  on 
probation. 

The  most  effective  remedy  was  stated 'to  be  the  truant  officer. 
The  second  most  effective  remedy  was  the  matter  of  aid  to  poor  by 
means  of  books,  clothing,  etc.,  and  other  remedies  mentioned  were 
work  with  backward  pupils,  medical  attention,  etc. 

Two  of  these  schools  were  sure  that  manual  training,  domestic 
science  and  pre-vocational  classes  are  of  great  assistance.  No.  40 
asserted  that  he  had  found  in  three  separate  years'  comparisons 
that  ten  per  cent  were  decidedly  influenced  to  stay  in  school  be- 
cause of  domestic  science  and  manual  training.  Two  were  defi- 
nitely sure  that  these  items  could  not  be  counted  upon  as  definite 
remedies.  Two  others  regarded  them  as  helpful. 

No.  36  asserted  that  as  there  are  a  variety  of  causes  for  truancy 
and  delinquency,  a  variety  of  remedies  is  necessary.  Sometimes 
the  fault  is  with  the  teachers,  sometimes  the  pupil,  sometimes  the 
home  and  environment. 

No.  37  suggests  as  follows :  ' '  Shut  up  a  lot  of  the  cheap  shows, 
create  a  taste  for  wholesome  literature,  keep  off  streets  at  night, 
provide  proper  playground  supervision,  stamp  out  cigarette  smok- 
ing." 


—53— 

CITIES  OF  FROM  TEN  TO  FORTY  THOUSAND. 

Three  reports  were  received  from  cities  of  10,000  to  40,000.  One 
of  these  cities  reported  that  they  had  no  definite  records  on  either 
truancy  or  delinquency;  the  other  two  cities  report  delinquency 
and  truancy  as  follows : 

Grade:  12345678 

Boys:  244     10       4686 

Girls:  00110101 

Age:  7       8       9     10     11     12     13     14     15     16 

Boys:  1225       5       6     11       543 

Girls:  0002       0^     00100 

It  will  be  noted  in  this  report  that  the  maximum  of  truancy  by 
grades  occurred  in  the  fourth  grade,  the  maximum  of  truancy  by 
age  is  in  the  13th  year.  The  causes  assigned  were  not  reported 
upon  by  two  of  these  cities.  The  third  city  reported  them  as  fol- 
lows : 

Dislike  of  school,  8 ;  lack  of  parental  control,  4 ;  bad  company,  3 ; 
sickness,  2 ;  incorrigibility,  1 ;  poverty,  1 ;  trouble  with  teacher,  1. 

Contributing  causes  mostly  assigned  to  poor  environment  and 
separation  of  parents.  One  city  reported  24  juvenile  court  cases, 
distributed  as  follows:  Committed  to  industrial  school,  6;  com- 
mitted to  other  public  institutions,  3 ;  committed  to  private  institu- 
tions, 2;  committed  to  parents  and  friends,  11;  placed  on  proba- 
tion, 2.  Of  these  pupils,  4  were  7  years  of  age,  2  were  8  years  of 
age,  2  were  9,  1  was  10,  2  were  11,  3  were  12,  4  were  13,  2  were  14, 
3  were  15,  and  1  was  16  years  of  age. 

These  towns  did  not  seem  to  have  a  definite  opinion  with  refer- 
ence to  the  effectiveness  of  manual  training,  domestic  science  or 
pre-vocational  work.  One  reported  the  elementary  pupils  were  too 
young  for  pre-vocational  classes  and  said  what  we  need  "is  a  com- 
pulsory education  law  that  will  keep  boys  and  girls  in  school  until 
they  are  16  years  of  age.  Our  law  is  not  stringent  enough. ' ' 

Another  said  that  if  pre-vocational,  manual  training,  or  domestic 
science  work  is  given,  it  should  be  thoroughly  practical  work.  "I 
mean  the  boys  and  girls  should  feel  they  are  accomplishing  some- 
thing, instead  of  merely  doing  exercises.  To  this  end,  practical 
shop  men  should  do  the  instructing  and  continuation  and  part- 
time  schools  are  necessary.  Most  of  our  so-called  manual  training 
is  too  academic. " 


—54— 

CITIES  OF  FORTY  THOUSAND,  OR  OVER. 
One  city  of  forty  thousand  or  over  reported  as  follows: 
Grade:  12345678 

Boys:  3     26     24     32     29     19     14      2 

Girls:  6     16     13     20     15       2       5       0 

Age:  7       8       9     10     11     12     13     14     15     16 

Boys:  2       4       9     16     22     28     37     20     11       0 

Girls:  6      2     10      3     12     13     22      6     20      0 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  maximum  of  truancy  by  grades  is  in 
grades  3,  4  and  5 ;  the  maximum  of  truancy  of  the  girls  beginning 
a  little  earlier  than  that  of  the  boys,  or  in  grade  2.  The  real  maxi- 
mum, both  of  the  girls  and  boys,  however,  occurs  in  grade  4. 

The  maximum  of  truancy  by  age  was  in  ages  11,  12,  13,  14,  the 
maximum  occurring  at  age  13.  It  will  be  noted  in  this  report  where 
probably  a  definite  record  is  kept  of  every  truancy  case,  that  a 
much  larger  percentage  of  the  truancy  is  recorded  of  girls  than  in 
any  of  the  preceding  reports. 

The  causes  assigned  were  as  follows:  Sickness  and  connivance 
(untrue  statements)  of  parents,  83 ;  incorrigibility,  41 ;  kept  out 
for  work,  32 ;  poverty,  31 ;  dislike  of  school,  12 ;  trouble  with 
teacher,  12 ;  lack  of  parental  control,  8 ;  physical  defects,  9 ;  over 
and  under  age,  7;  bad  company,  4;  desire  for  work,  1. 

The  contributing  causes  were  mostly  assigned  to  poor  environ- 
ment and,  as  in  other  towns,  the  second  cause  given  was  "parents 
divorced. ' ' 

A  comparison  of  the  maximum  grade  truancy  with  the  maximum 
age  truancy,  however,  would  lead  one  to  believe  that  over  and  under 
age  has  more  to  do  with  truancy  than  the  causes  assigned  above 
would  indicate.  Sixty-four  juvenile  court  cases  are  reported  as 
follows : 

Age:  7       8       9     10     11     12     13     14     15     16 

Boys:  01014    14     13      460 

Girls:  1121107341 

The  disposition  of  these  cases  is  given  as  follows :  21,  continued 
generally ;  14,  under  probation ;  10,  committed  to  industrial  schools ; 
8,  committed  to  private  institutions;  6,  committed  to  parents;  5, 
dismissed. 

The  effective  remedies  were  given  as  the  truant  officers,  special 
work  for  backward  children,  voluntary  medical  inspection,  and  aid 
to  poor,  with  books,  clothing,  etc.  It  was  reported  that  domestic 
science  and  pre-vocational  classes  are  a  distinct  value. 

The  other  suggestions  were  school  nurses,  truant  detention 
schools,  and  an  amendment  to  the  attendance  enforcement  law  by 
adding  the  words  "or  imprisonment"  in  the  penalty  for  parents. 


PERMANENCY  OF  AGRICULTURE  AS  A  VOCATION. 


The  data  forming  the  basis  of  this  research  was  collected  along 
with  other  data,  by  the  Department  of  Farm  Management  of  the 
Iowa  State  College.  The  data  were  tabulated  by  advanced  students 
under  the  direction  of  the  Department  of  Agricultural  Education 
of  the  Iowa  State  College. 

A  typical  Iowa  farming  district  was  chosen  with  the  object  of 
securing  data  from  every  farmer  ^in  the  district.  The  district 
chosen  was  that  section  of  the  state  at  the  corner  of  Grundy,  Black 
Hawk  and  Tama  counties.  This  is  a  typical  agricultural  com- 
munity, corn  and  small  grains,  hogs  and  big  cattle  being  the  chief 
products.  The  data  was  collected  by  field  enumerators.  For  this 
study  730  reports  were  available,  and  the  returns  were  summarized 
upon  the  four  points : 

1.  Age  of  the  farmers. 

2.  Years  spent  on  the  farm  (as  laborer,  tenant  and  owner.) 

3.  Education. 

4.  Years  in  other  occupations. 

The  age,  as  the  following  distribution  indicates,  shows  that  the 
group  chosen  was  a  normal  group.  The  curve  corresponds  quite 
closely  to  the  actuary's  table  of  any  normal  occupation.  The 
youngest  farmer  was  20;  the  oldest  were  80;  the  medium  age  was 
38 ;  the  upper  quartile  31 ;  and  the  lower  quartile  47,  as  marked 
in  the  table.  The  table  follows: 

TABLE  I.     SHOWING  AGE  OF  730  IOWA  FARMERS  IN  A 
TYPICAL  FARMING  DISTRICT. 


Age 
20 

No.  (at  the 
given  age) 

11 

21 

5 

27 
>  117 

22   

4 

23  

.  7 

24  

10 

25 

141 

26      .  .  . 

.  21 

27  

24 

28  . 

30 

29  . 

.  28 

Q. 
M. 

Age 
30  

No.  (at  the 
given  age) 

30  ^ 

31  .<  

33 

.  134 

•  128 

32~  

~25~ 

33 

23 

34  

23 

35   

32  1 

36  

18 

37 

26 

38  

24 

39~.. 

.."28, 

—56— 


Age 
40    

TABLE  I.—  Concluded. 

No.  (at  the 
given  age)            Age 
22  1                       fift 

No.  (at  the 
given  age) 
81 

41 

18 

61 

3 

42        

28 

h  106              62    . 

7    •     28 

43 

12 

63 

8 

44        

26 

64 

2 

45    

18  1 

65 

46 

13 

66 

2 

Q.     47    

18 

*     80               67 

o  L  11 

48 

21 

68   

3 

49 

10 

69    

2 

13  * 

70    

51 

12 

71    

1 

10 

.     52               72    

1  L      7 

PJQ 

11 

73        

0 

54 

g 

74    . 

1       1 

55    

•   11  1                        79 

56    

6                            sn 

2}    2 

57        

7 

730 

58    

6 

59    . 

7 

Age.  Nos. 

50—54  52 

55—59  37 

60—64  28 

65—69  11 

70—74  7 

75—80  .           3 


Distributed  into  five  year  groups  the  numbers  are  as  follows: 

TABLE  II.    SHOWING  TABLE  I  DISTRIBUTED  INTO  FIVE 

YEAR  GROUPS. 

Age.  Nos. 

20—24    27 

25—29     117 

30—34    .  i 134 

35—39    128 

40—44 106 

45—49    80 

The  curve  marked  Age  Distribution  in  Figure  1,  brings  out 
graphically  the  numbers  according  to  the  five  year  distribution. 
The  heavy  line  shows  the  smoothed  curve  which  would  result  from 
a  large  increase  in  the  number  of  cases. 

The  years  spent  on  the  farm  by  these  farmers  include  the  exper- 
ience as  laborer,  tenant  and  owner.  Details  as  to  how  the  work  is 
divided  up  along  these  three  lines  are  not  given  herewith  but  in  a 
surprisingly  large  number  of  cases  there  has  been  regular  progress 
from  laborer  to  tenant,  and  finally  to  owner.  The  years  spent  on 
the  farm,  as  indicated  by  the  distribution  below  show  a  very  normal 
situation.  The  time  ranges  from  one  year  to  70  years ;  the  median 
being  19;  first  quartile  12:  third  quartile  28.  In  general  the  curve 
for  years  on  the  farm,  as  indicated  in  figure  I,  is  almost  identical 
in  form  with  the  curve  showing  the  age.  That  the  two  curves 
appear  at  different  values  on  the  x-axis  was  to  be  expected,  time 


—57— 


spent  on  the  farm  begins  at  1,  while  the  age  of  the  youngest  farmer 
is  20.  The  table  showing  distribution  of  years  spent  on  the  farm 
follows : 

TABLE  III.    SHOWING  DISTRIBUTION  OF  THE  730  IOWA 

FARMERS  AS  TO  YEARS  SPENT  ON  THE  FARM, 

AS  LABORER,  TENANT,  AND  OWNER. 


Yrs.  on  Farm. 


No.  of  Farmers.      Yrs.  on  Farm. 


No.  of  Farmers. 


2 

3  

, 

f  30 

4  

5 

14^ 

6  

14 

7 

15 

•  87 

8 

22 

9 

22 

10 

39  1 

11   

.  16 

O 

12 

'35 

1  4.1 

IF  

.  28 

14 

.  23  J 

, 

15   

.  24 

16 

24 

17   

26 

18  

::  n 

M 

19  

.  21 

20   

32^ 

21  

21 

22 

25 

L  127 

23   

26 

24  

23 

25 

.   .  13^ 

26  

11 

27 

14 

71 

Q 

28 

21 

"29"  . 

.  12. 

30  

16  ] 

31 

15 

32   

15 

f  63 

33  

12 

34     

5 

35 

.131 

36  

12 

37  

.7 

L  45 

38  .   . 

7 

39  

6 

40  

4 

41 

7 

42  .. 

3 

•  18 

43  

1 

44  

3 

45 

51 

46 

....     8 

47  .  .  

5 

L  22 

48  

1 

49 

3 

51 

4l 

54  

5 

55 

1] 

56  

2 

57 

1 

>.   6 

58  

2 

60  

1 

62  

1 

2 

70  . 

1 

1 

730 

The  curve  in  figure  I  is  based  upon  the  five  year  distribution, 
the  details  of  which  follow: 

TABLE  IV.    SHOWING  TABLE  III,  REDISTRIBUTED  WITH 
A  FIVE  YEAR  PERIOD  AS  THE  UNIT. 


Years.  Nos. 

1—4  30 

5—9  87 

10—14 141 

15—19  112 

20—24  127 

25—29  71 

30—34  63 

35 — 39  .  45 


Years. 

40—44  .  . . 

45—49  ... 

50—54  .  . . 

55—59  .  . . 

60—64  . .  . 

65—69  . . . 

70—74  ... 


Nos. 

,  18 

,  22 
5 
6 
2 

.  0 
1 


—58— 


The  facts  with  reference  to  the  education  of  these  fanners  are 
not  quite  as  definite  as  a  school  investigator  would  desire,  and  yet 
the  data  seemed  valuable  because  taken  as  a  whole  it  shows  quite 
well  the  situation  with  reference  to  schooling.  These  facts  are 
distributed  so  as  to  show  the  schools  attended  and  the  number  of 
years  in  each.  As  shown  by  the  totals  in  common  school,  high 
school  and  college,  the  facts  are  not  far  different  from  what  they 
are  in  the  total  population.  It  is  to  be  noticed  that  a  large  number 
of  the  farmers  do  not  indicate  the  number  of  years  in  school.  This 
should  have  been  secured.  But  of  those  who  do  report  this  fact, 
over  half  of  them  quit  before  the  eighth  grade.  It  is  quite  likely 
that  a  number  of  those  reporting  ten  or  twelve  years  in  the  com- 
mon schools  should  really  be  classed  as  having  taken  some  work 
in  the  high  school.  Others,  of  course,  simply  went  to  the  common 
schools,  according  to  the  old  practice  of  continuing  in  grade  work 
until  twenty-one  years  old.  The  number  who  had  high  school 
work,  94,  is  12.8%  of  the  total;  and  this  is  larger  than  the  per  cent 
of  total  pupils  who  reach  the  high  school.  According  to  the  latest 
returns  the  high  school  enrollment  for  the  state  is  9.1%  of  the 
total  school  enrollment.  The  number  who  have  had  some  college 
work,  76,  is  10.4%  of  the  total,  and  this  is  higher  than  the  per  cent 
in  college  work  that  would  be  indicated  by  the  total  distribution 
of  school  population.  It  is  to  be  noticed,  however,  that  only  a  few 
are  college  graduates,  and  only  two  have  indicated  the  master's 
degree.  In  general  it  seems  that  the  schooling  of  these  men  is  just 
about  normal  or  possibly  a  little  above  the  average  for  the  total 
population.  This  means  that  the  incompetent  who  have  practically 
no  schooling  do  not  become  farmers,  but  enter  lines  of  work  re- 
quiring less  ability.  Table  V  gives  detailed  distribution  for  edu- 
cation or  schooling. 

TABLE  V,     SHOWING  EDUCATION  OF  730  IOWA 
FARMERS. 


School 

Years   in   this   School 

No. 

Common  school  ... 

Years  not  indicated  

149 

1  year    

2 

2  years            .  .      .      ........ 

1 

3  years 

1 

4  years    

7 

5  years                .  .  .  '.  

4 

6  vears    . 

35 

—59— 
TABLE  V.— Concluded. 


School 

Years  in  this  School 

No. 

Common  school     

7  years    

29 

7^   years    

1 

8  years 

93 

9  years    

47 

10  years    

83 

11  years    

30 

12  years    

36 

13  years 

11 

• 

14  years    

12 

15  years    ....             ... 

6 

16  years    

5 

High   school   or   academy 

Years  not  indicated 

7 

Less  than  1  year         

5 

1  year 

19 

1V»  years       

1 

2  years    .  .      .        

28 

3  years 

15 

4  years    

13 

5  years 

6 

College                                .  .         

Years  not  indicated 

3 

6 

i/r,  year 

2 

1  year    

12 

1  V>   years    . 

3 

2  years    

18 

3  years            

0 

4  years 

3 

5  years    

2 

Business  College    

Years  not  indicated  

1 

Less  than  1  year     

7 

1  year 

8 

1%  years       

1 

2  years 

6 

3  years    

3 

4  years           .  .               

1 

Years  not  indicated  

1 

Less   than   1  year.  *  

2 

1  year    

3 

2  years    

2 

Agricultural  College  (All  I.  S.  C.)  .  . 

730 

The  details  with  reference  to  age,  length  of  time  on  the  farm,  and 
education  are  used  here  chiefly  to  show  that  we  have  a  distribution 
of  people  which  shows  a  normal  situation.  Everyone  of  these  three 
factors  indicates  that  this  is  a  random  selection  and  that  it  covers 
the  total  area.  It  is  therefore,  doubtless  as  nearly  authoritative 


—60— 

as  could  be  secured  from  an  equal  number  of  farmers  selected 
anywhere.  There  is  every  indication  that  a  listing  of  the  total 
farmers  of  the  entire  state  would  show  similar  distribution. 

The  particular  purpose  of  this  inquiry,  however,  is  to  ascertain 
the  facts  relative  to  the  permanency  of  farming  as  an  occupation, 
and  the  facts  shown  by  this  study  are  significant  just  to  the  de- 
gree that  we  have  a  normal  and  representative  distribution  of 
farmers.  The  facts  with  reference  to  the  permanency  of  farming 
as  an  occupation  exceed  all  forecasts.  Of  the  730  reporting  on  this 
point,  573  or  78.4%  had  spent  no  time  in  any  other  occupation; 
the  remaining  157,  or  2L6j^,  show  that  far  the  largest  part  of  the 
remaining  have  spent  1,  2,  3,  and  4  years  in  other  occupations; 
with  a  few  scattered  along  even  up  to  30_years  in  other  occupations. 
This  means  that  when  it  comes  to  farming,  men  grow  up  on  the 
farm  or  go  at  once  to  the  farm — become  laborers,  tenants,  and 
owners  in  succession,  in  the  large  majority  of  cases.  In  the  cases 
where  other  occupations  have  been  entered  first,  men  work  a  few 
years  at  something  else,  apparently  in  order  to  get  money  on  hand 
to  enable  them  to  go  to  the  farm.  Very  few,  however,  work  more 
than  five,  and  exceedingly  few  more  than  ten  years  before  making 
the  transfer  to  the  farm.  The  few  scattering  ones  who  waited  more 
than  ten  years  to  go  to  the  farm  evidently  got  well  started  in  other 
lines,  found  them  remunerative  and  kept  the  farm  in  mind  as  a 
dream  to  be  realized,  when  opportunity  offered.  With  two  of  the 
group  this  happened  after  thirty  years.  Table  VI  shows  the  730 
Iowa  farmers  distributed  as  to  time  spent  in  other  occupations. 

TABLE  VI. 


No.  Years 

No.  Persons 

0  

573 

1  

18 

2  

21 

3  

19 

4  

16 

5  

8 

6  

9 

7  

5 

8  

6 

9  

9 

10  

9 

11  

3 

12  

2 

13  

3 

14  

2 

'  15  

4 

16  

2 

No.  Years 

No.  Persons 

17  

1 

18  

3 

19  

1 

20  

2 

21  

0 

22  

0 

23  

0 

24  

3 

25  

1 

26  

0 

27  

0 

28  

1 

29  

0 

30  

2 

730 


—61— 

Further  discussion  is  unnecessary.  The  facts  speak  for  them- 
selves. Farming  is  a  permanent  occupation.  Not  only  is  farming 
permanent,  but  it  affects  large  numbers  of  the  total  population. 
In  the  U.  S.  in  1910,  57,819,000  people  or  63%  of  the  total  popu- 
lation were  in  the  country  and  smaller  towns.  The  population  of 
Iowa,  according  to  the  1910  census,  was  distributed  as  follows: 

467,098  or  22%,  in  the  17  cities  over  10,000. 
54,194  or  2.5%,   in  the   8   cities  from  5,000  to  10,000. 
158,762  or  7.1%,  in  the  43  cities  from  2,500  to  5,000. 
172,370  or  7.7%,  in  the  144  cities  with   population   of   1,000  to   2,500. 

This  leaves  1,372,344  out  of  a  total  population  of  2,224,771,  or 
61.7%  in  the  country  and  in  villages  of  less  than  1,000.  This  means 
that  our  population  is  dominantly  rural,  and  that  rural  interests, 
therefore,  must  figure  largely  in  any  adequate  scheme  of  education 
for  the  state. 

The  rural  character  of  the  population  is  shown  equally  forcefully 
by  the  statistics  with  reference  to  agriculture  in  the  United  States 
and  in  Iowa. 

The  1910  census  indicates  that  there  were  in  the  United  States 
12,659,203  people  of  both  sexes  engaged  in  agriculture.  This  is 
33.2%  of  all  of  those  engaged  in  productive  industry.  For  males 
alone  this  figure  is  36.1%;  for  females  22.4%.  This,  per  cent  for 
males  is  larger  than  for  any  other  line  of  industry,  and  for  females 
it  is  exceeded  but  slightly  by  two  other  lines,  these  being  (1)  do- 
mestic and  personal  service  and  (2)  manufacturing  and  mechanical 
industries.  In  Iowa  the  situation  for  agriculture  is  even  stronger. 
Of  the  694,799  males  over  ten  years  of  age  engaged  in  productive 
industry  in  1910,  339,413,  or  44.8%  were  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  The  two  large  lines  for  women  in  Iowa  are  domestic  and 
personal  service,  first;  teaching  school,  second;  manufacturing, 
third;  while  agriculture  ranks  fourth,  with  a  total  of  over  8,000 
women  engaged  in  agriculture. 

Interpreting  the  above  facts  on  the  basis  of  the  Ayers  occupa- 
tional study,  we  may  say  that  for  the  entire  United  States  there  are 
138  farmers  for  each  1,000  population  and  for  Iowa  there  are  156 
farmers  for  each  1,000  population.  This  means  that  for  the 
state  as  a  whole,  farmers  are  more  numerous  in  Iowa  than  are 
merchants  or  clerks  in  cities  of  50,000  and  over.  If  we  consider 
that  almost  every  farmer  has  with  him  on  the  farm  a  family  of 
three  (wife  and  two  children),  then  we  have  for  the  state  624 
out  of  each  1,000  population  who  are  directly  interested  and  de- 


—62— 

pendent  upon,  the  farm.  And  this  does  not  count  retired  farmers 
and  farm  owners  living  in  the  cities.  We  are  fairly  sure  that 
80%  of  these  children  of  the  farm  will  continue  their  farm  in- 
terest into  maturity  and  throughout  life,  and  that  the  present 
farmers  will  not  change  their  present  interests. 

The  comparatively  small  numbers  in  manufacturing  as  com- 
pared with  agriculture  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  the  133  in- 
dustries reported  for  Iowa  in  1930  contain  a  total  of  but  78,360 
employed.  Most  of  these  are  in  the  seventeen  large  cities  of  over 
10,000.  This  means  that  for  the  state  as  a  whole,  agriculture  is 
the  one  large  and  dominant  industry. 

"We  may  expect  that  manufacturing  and  urban  population  in 
this  state  will  continue  to  increase,  as  it  has  in  Illinois  and  Indi- 
ana. But  the  constructive  imagination  can  scarcely  conceive  of 
the  time  when  agriculture  will  not  be  the  dominant  interest  of 
the  state.  The  fact  that  fully  half  the  population  of  the  entire 
state  are  engaged  in  farming,  and  that  it  is  an  occupation  of  un- 
usual permanency,  means  that  any  scheme  of  education  must  con- 
sider these  facts  and  make  provision  accordingly.  It  is  apparent 
that  the  present  generation  and  the  coming  generation  of  farmers 
taken  together  have  in  their  hands  the  destiny  of  the  state  with 
reference  to  its  largest  single  asset;  that  is,  the  fertility  of  the 
soil.  If  this  is  to  be  conserved,  it  means  that  our  farming  class 
must  become  scientifically  educated  for  their  work.  The  education 
of  the  on-coming  generation  of  farmers  to  the  necessity  of  main- 
taining our  priceless  heritage  of  soil  fertility  through  a  knowledge 
of  scientific  agriculture,  becomes  one  of  the  large  and  definite 
problems  in  any  complete  scheme  for  vocational  and  industrial 
education.  Attention  to  this  matter  now  will  doubtless  be  better 
policy  than  to  defer  action  until  an  exhausted  soil  forces  upon  us 
an  economic  condition  akin  to  that  in  older  countries  and  commits 
us  to  an  uphill  pull  of  several  years  to  restore  what  our  negligence 
has  lost. 


THE  ATTITUDE  OF  EMPLOYERS  OIJ  COMMERCIAL 
HELP  TOWARD  VOCATIONAL  EDUCATION. 

Letters  were  written  to  the  Chambers  of  Commerce,  Commercial 
Clubs  and  Industrial  Associations  of  the  seventeen  largest  cities 
in  the  state  of  Iowa  to  secure  the  co-operation  of  these  organiza- 
tions in  the  investigation  of  the  attitude  of  employers  of  com- 
mercial help  toward  vocational  education.  A  questionnaire  which 
had  been  prepared  under  the  adwce  and  direction  of  competent 
business  men  was  sent  out  to  ten  representative  cities,  the  co- 
operating organizations  distributing  them  and  returning  the  same 
for  tabulation  by  one  authority. 

The  cities  are  typical  Iowa  communities,  and  the  67  firms  re- 
plying are  representative  of  the  dominant  industries  of  the  state. 
Some  of  the  organizations  co-operating  had  educational  commit- 
tees which  were  interested  in  the  results  of  the  investigation,  others, 
which  had  none,  were  anxious  that  their  organizations,  as  well 
as  their  schools,  should  profit  by  the  results  of  this  investigation. 

On  the  question  of  difficulty  in  obtaining  efficient  office  help, 
the  firms  reported  as  follows: 

Yes 28 

At  times 20 

No    10 

Not  replying 9 

Total   67 

The  chief  difficulties  were  due  largely  to  an  insufficient  num- 
ber of  applicants  with  suitable  recommendations,  and  an  absence 
of  proof  for  the  employers  that  the  applicant  was  mentally,  moral- 
ly and  physically  equipped  for  the  work  which  was  sought.  The 
applicant  had  little  idea  of  measuring  up  his  natural  ability  and 
training  to  the  demands  of  the  work,  about  which,  in  many  cases, 
he  seemed  to  be  uninformed.  This  suggests  the  advisability  of  a 
personal  record  card  which  should  give  an  authentic  and  con- 
tinuous account  of  the  pupil  throughout  his  school  course — in- 
formation equally  necessary  whether  the  student  goes  to  work  or 
to  further  training.  It  also  points  to  a  need  of  general  informa- 
tion concerning  the  present-day  demands  of  business,  and  specific, 
definite  and  accurate  information  concerning  the  vocation  for 
which  the  youth  is  being  trained. 


On  the  question,  ' i  By  what  method  do  you  seek  employees  ? ' '  the 
replies  tabulated  as  follows: 

Advertising   29 

Put  out  sign  4 

Employment  agency 34 

Application   38 

Ask  Business  Colleges   38 

Ask  employees  3 

The  test  of  efficiency  of  any  vocational  course  is  the  immediate 
placement  of  people  in  that  occupation  or  employment  for  which 
it  prepares.  Since  the  public  school  maintains  commercial  courses, 
it  should  also  conduct  a  Placement  Bureau  in  connection  with 
the  same.  This  would  eliminate  the  necessity  of  advertising, 
putting  out  signs,  and  employment  agencies  with  their  attend- 
ant fees.  Application  would  be  made  through  the  Placement 
Bureau.  Such  functions  have  long  been  carried  on  under  educa- 
tional supervision  in  Germany,  England  and  Scotland,  and  are 
multiplying  in  the  United  States.  In  Boston,  New  York,  Phila- 
delphia, Cincinnati,  Cleveland,  etc.,  these  have  passed  the  ex- 
perimental stage,  and  Chambers  of  Commerce  and  educational  in- 
stitutions unite  in  their  efforts  to  safeguard  the  transition  from 
school  to  work  as  part  of  the  scheme  of  vocational  guidance. 

On  the  question.  "Do  you  employ  boys  and  girls  between  the 
ages  of  14  and  18  ? "  the  replies  were  as  follows : 

Boys—  Girls — 

Yes     55          Yes     21 

No    29          No 37 

Number    208          Number    305 

Many  firms  reported  that  they  did  not  employ  help  under  18, 
but  that  which  they  did  employ  proved  best  adapted  to  their  needs 
coming  from  the  institutions  in  the  order  indicated  below: 

From  General  High  School .* 24 

From  Business  Colleges   22 

From  Commercial  High  School  Course   19 

From  Office  training  without  complete  High  School  course  19 

From  Grammar  Schools  9 

Owing  to  the  immaturity  of  high  school  graduates,  the  employers 
signified  their  custom  of  selecting  office  help  from  business  colleges, 
and  the  shop  and  factory  help  from  high  school  graduates. 


—65— 

The  defects  commonly  apparent  to  the  employer  were  tabulated 
in  the  order  of  their  dominance  as  indicated  by  the  following  num- 
ber of  firms : 

1.  Inaccuracy    30  6.  No  concentration   24 

2.  Irresponsibility  33  7.  No  application 20 

3.  Indifference    31  8.  Instability 18 

4.  No   ambition    25  9.  Dishonesty    3 

5.  Inattention  24 

Note— The  three  firms  reporting  dishonesty  employ  younger  girls  in  stores  where  goods 
are  profusely  displayed  on  the  counters,  and  there  is  no  check  on  the  clerks  other  than 
the  cash  register. 

10.     Insufficiency  in  the  following  branches: 

Spelling    42      Writing    39 

Arithmetic 27      Reading    8 

Note— There  was  little  direct  test  in  business  of  the  ability  to  read.  These  answers 
came  from  the  offices  of  abstracters  and  recorders,  where  proof-reading  is  part  of  the 
business. 

Lack  of  speed,  accuracy,  and  inability  to  use  the  English  lan- 
guage effectively  in  business,  were  noted  as  additional  defects. 

In  reply  to  the  question,  "What  has  a  business  man  a  right  to 
expect  from  high  school  graduates?"  the  returns  would  suggest 
that  the  school  look  not  only  as  to  what  it  is  teaching,  but  as  to 
what  it  is  teaching  for.  Information  is  not  so  much  desired  as 
good  mental  habits,  which  can  result  only  from  training.  As  a 
result  of  general  training  the  employer  has  a  right  to  expect  adapt- 
ability, application,  accuracy,  ambition,  civility,  concentration,  self- 
reliance,  initiative,  responsibility,  neatness  and  dispatch,  obedience 
and  courtesy,  loyalty  to  emploj^er's  interests,  ability  to  take  direc- 
tions, good  mental  habits  which  enable  one  to  plan  effectively  and 
to  execute  systematically  and  with  thoroughness.  To  meet  the  de- 
mands of  today  co-operation  is  necessary ;  planning,  organizing  and 
systematizing  is  a  necessary  sequence  in  effective  execution  of  any 
enterprise. 

In  special  training,  short  cuts  and  quick  methods  in  arithmetic 
are  necessary  to  meet  the  demands  for  speed ;  mastery  of  the  Eng- 
lish language  is  a  necessary  tool  and  an  invaluable  asset  in  busi- 
ness. A  number  of  firms  expressed  the  desirability  of  vocational 
business  courses  which  would  give  technical  knowledge  of  materials, 
tools  and  processes  of  industry,  as  the  only  kind  of  business  train- 
ing that  had  a  future  beyond  the  mere  clerical  job. 

Some  provision  should  be  made  for  teaching  the  relation  of  the 
employer  and  the  employee  and  the  worker's  attitude  toward  his 
work,  the  value  of  money,  and  honesty  in  the  disposition  of  time. 


—66— 

On  the  question  of  the  advisability  of  a  short  business  course  in 
the  high  school  the  returns  stood : 

Favorable    , 52 

Unfavorable 9 

As  to  the  age  at  which  this  should  be  given  opinions  differed; 
the  lowest  was  13,  the  highest  20;  the  greatest  number  advised  16 
to  18. 

There  was  a  definite  agreement  in  the  comments  that  the  14  to 
16-year-old  youth  is  not  welcome  in  the  office  end  of  industry  in 
positions  of  responsibility.  Any  commercial  course  at  that  age  is 
necessarily  pre-vocational.  A  general  course  followed  by  a  busi- 
ness course  was  suggested  as  most  desirable. 

On  the  question  of  whether  the  high  school  should  train  for 
clerical  work  or  for  business  management,  or  both,  the  reports 
were: 

For  clerical  work   11 

For  business  management  5 

A  combination  possible 31 

The  consensus  of  opinion  indicated  that  the  youth  was  unable  to 
comprehend  the  problems  of  business  management  because  of  im- 
maturity and  irresponsibility.  This  training  is  possible  only  on 
a  basis  of  experience  in  business,  and  must  be  an  outgrowth  of  it. 
Clerical  jobs  are  easily  handled.  There  is  not  much  future  in 
them.  The  youth  must  have  ambition  beyond  them,  in  order  to  be 
of  much  value  to  the  establishment  or  make  progression  himself. 
Clerical  work  is  preparatory  and  supplementary  to  management. 
The  youth  must  try  himself  out  before  he  can  be  advanced  to 
management,  and  some  firms  doubt  the  ability  of  the  schools  to  do 
anything  more  than  give  a  general  business  training. 

The  kinds  of  commercial  training  that  would  meet  the  needs  of 
each  business  were  wide  in  range  and  indicate  the  degree  of  special- 
ization in  business  methods  of  today.  The  include  the  following: 

Invoicing  Credit  work 

Railroad  billing  Bookkeeping 

Billing   machine  operators                      Telegraph  operating 

Adding  machine  operators  Salesmanship 

Stenographers  Stationery  and  office  supplies 

Claims  Stock-keeping 

Dictaphone  Filing 

Collection  work  Purchasing 

Auditing  Cashier 

Mailing  Banking 

Shipping 

Shorthand,  typewriting  and  bookkeeping  no  longer  furnish  a 
complete  course  in  business  training. 


—67— 

Among  the  suggestions  of  the  various  employers  which  were  em- 
phasized are  the  following: 

(1.)     Power  to  observe,  analyze  and  judge  people. 

(2.)  Practical  training  in  English,  consisting  of  logical  think- 
ing and  power  of  exact  expression,  discrimination  in  the  choice 
and  meaning  of  words,  ability  to  write  simple,  direct  and  effective 
letters. 

(3.)  Vocational  guidance  in  assisting  the  youth  to  discover  his 
aptitudes  and  abilities  in  different  kinds  of  work,  and  directing 
his  thought  along  serious  consideration  of  his  future  occupation 
and  preparation  for  it. 

.(4.)  An  Advisory  Board  of  Trustees  made  up  of  business  men 
who  would  adapt  the  commercial  course  in  the  public  schools  to 
the  actual  demands  of  modern  business. 


ATTITUDE  OF  EMPLOYERS  OF  LABOR  TOWARD 
VOCATIONAL  EDUCATION. 

The  complete  tabulation  of  data  analyzed  here  will  be  found  in 
the  Sixteenth  Biennial  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics. 

Analysis.  A  questionnaire  was  sent  out  to  1,800  employers  of 
labor  to  obtain  their  attitude  toward  vocational  education  and  to 
secure  other  data  which  might  have  immediate  bearing  on  the  sub- 
ject, such  as  the  securing,  training  and  promoting  of  help ;  labor 
difficulties,  etc.  The  replies  were  voluntary  and  the  immediate  in- 
terest in  the  question  was  shown  by  the  return  of  210  replies  in 
less  than  one  week  from  the  date  of  sending.  Four  hundred  twen- 
ty-two replies  were  received  in  time  for  tabulation. 

The  replies  cover  a  range  of  65  representative  industries  of 
Iowa,  as  follows : 


1.  Agricultural   Implements.  33. 

2.  Automobiles.  34. 

3.  Baskets.  36. 

4.  Boots  and  Shoes.  35. 

5.  Brass.  37. 

6.  Bakery.  38. 

7.  Brick  and  Tile.  39. 

8.  Bridge  and  Iron  Works.  40. 

9.  Brooms.  41. 

10.  Butter,  etc.  42. 

11.  Buttons.  43. 

12.  Canning.  44. 

13.  Carriages  and  Wagons.  45. 

14.  Cars,  Railway.  46. 

15.  Cement.  47. 

16.  Clothing.  48. 

17.  Clothing,  Women's.  49. 

18.  Coffee,  Spices,  etc.  50. 

19.  Coffins.  51. 

20.  Confectionery.  52. 

21.  Contractors.  53. 

22.  Cooperage.  54. 

23.  Copper  and  Sheet  Metal.  55. 

24.  Dairymen.  56. 

25.  Electric   Light,   Heat   and  57. 

Power.  58. 

26.  Electric  Street  Railway.  59. 

27.  Flags.  60. 

28.  Flour  Mill   Products.  61. 

29.  Food  Preparations.  62. 

30.  Foundry,  Machine  Shops.  63. 

31.  Furniture.  64. 

32.  Gas  Tanks.  65. 


Gates. 

Hosiery. 

Ice  and  Cold  Storage. 

Hotels. 

Incubators. 

Laundries. 

Leather  Goods. 

Liquors,  Malt. 

Lumber. 

Marble. 

Painters. 

Oils. 

Paper  and  Wood  Pulp. 

Patent  Medicine. 

Plumbing. 

Printing  and  Publishing. 

Pumps. 

Quarrying. 

Sanatorium. 

Seeds. 

Slaughtering. 

Soap. 

Stores. 

Sporting  Goods. 

Stoves. 

Telephone. 

Tobacco. 

Vinegar. 

Washing  Machines. 

Water  Works. 

Wholesale  Groceries. 

Wire  Works. 

Miscellaneous. 


—69— 

The  total  number  of  employees  in  the  422  establishments  was 
40,134,  including  33,460  males,  and  6,674  females.  Of  these  num- 
bers 249  males  and  76  females  were  under  16  years  of  age.  This, 
however,  is  not  complete,  as  many  firms  did  not  report  on  this 
data.  In  the  industries  reporting,  it  would  indicate  that  em- 
ployees under  16  are  not  an  industrial  asset.  The  total  number 
reported  in  training  was  915  or  2.12  per  cent  of  the  total  number 
employed. 

The  wages  present  great  irregularity.  In  the  main  this  matter 
seerns  to  depend  on  locality,  degree  of  skill  required,  and  the  spe- 
cialization of  the  process.  In  some  cases  the  superintendent  re- 
ceived less  than  the  high  grade  skill,  particularly  in  such  industries 
as  would  indicate  his  work  to  be  of  a  clerical  nature.  In  the  dis- 
tribution of  women  workers,  the  greater  numbers  are  found  in 
the  lesser  skilled  employments  and  comparatively  few  in  the  direc- 
tive positions.  Where  the  percentage  of  women  employed  is  high, 
in  positions  where  the  same  grade  of  skill  is  required,  the  wages 
vary  from  one-third  to  three-fourths  that  of  the  man.  In  only 
one  instance  was  it  equal. 

The  chances  for  advancement,  or  the  future  in  a  given  occupa- 
tion, may  be  estimated  by  a  comparison  of  the  wage  table  of  lesser 
skill,  higher  skilled  labor,  and  the  salaries  of  superintendent  and 
foremen.  Promotion  of  the  efficient  is  later  shown  to  be  a  large 
means  of  recruiting  the  higher  grades  of  labor. 

The  employers'  statements  in  regard  to  the  difficulty  in  obtain- 
ing help  tabulated  as  follows: 

Difficulty  in  obtaining  skilled  help  :*• 

Yes    165 

Yes  qualified   20 

No 176 

No   qualified 1 

Not  reporting   60 

Difficulty  in  obtaining  foremen  and  superintendents: 

Yes     155 

Yes  qualified   10 

No  171 

Doubtful 1 

Not  reporting   85 

This  table  reflects  trade  conditions.  When  the  labor  supply  is 
such  that  the  employer  may  pick  men  for  the  jobs,  there  is  little 
difficulty.  When  conditions  are  such  that  a  man  may  pick  his 
work,  there  is  little  difficulty.  The  difficulties,  in  the  main,  are 
in  the  least  desirable  industries  and  arise  out  of  the  fact  that  the 


—70— 

unskilled  workers,  having  few  resources  within  themselves,  want 
amusement  and  entertainment  which  the  city  alone  affords,  and 
the  discontent  of  the  workers  manifests  itself  in  difficulty  in  secur- 
ing help. 

The  supply  varies  according  to  the  nature  of  the  employment 
'and  location.  It  also  varies  in  the  same  industry,  in  the  same  lo- 
cality, showing  that  the  individual  differences  in  the  superintend- 
ent, foremen,  and  employee  alike,  enter  into  the  question  of  secur- 
ing help.  Those  industries  which  are  training  their  workers  have 
the  least  difficulty  with  labor  problems. 

The  sources  of  obtaining  help  for  higher  grade  skill  tabulated 
as  follows: 

Trained  in  own  establishment 116 

Prom   all   other   sources 220 

From  schools  18 

Prom  Trade  Unions    5 

Prom  Trade   Schools    . '. 1 

Trained  in  part  in  own  establishment 29 

389 
Not  reporting 83 

The  sources  of  obtaining  help  in  medium  grade  skill  tabulated 
as  follows: 

Trained  in  own  establishment 108 

Prom   all   other   sources 214 

Prom  schools 8 

Prom  stock-holder's  family   1 

From  Trade  Union   2 

Prom  Trade  School  1 

Trained  in  part  in  own  establishment 25 

359 
Not  reporting  113 

"Other  sources"  include  advertising  and  personal  application, 
imported  from  industrial  centers,  taken  from  other  establishments, 
etc.  The  great  number  of  pick-ups  and  casual  workers  indicated 
in  the  "source  of  obtaining  help"  as  "anywhere,"  "all  over," 
"local,"  etc..  show  how  largely  the  selection  of  help  is  a  process 
of  elimination  of  the  unfit.  The  establishments  which  train  their 
own  men  and  promote  them  within  the  ranks  as  they  show  ability, 
do  it  to  secure  a  stable  corps  of  workers  in  the  plant.  In  some  es- 
tablishments it  is  necessary  to  bear  the  cost  of  training  for  sev- 
eral months  before  the  worker  can  do  any  profitable  productive 
work.  The  instability  of  the  younger  worker  becomes  a  problem 
of  expense.  In  industries  where  women  and  girls  work  the  force 
is  largely  recruited  through  personal  acquaintance.  This  table 


—71— 

shows  how  small  a  factor  the  schools  are  in  supplying  help,  or  in 
other  works,  fitting  i'or  industrial  pursuits. 

The  sources  of  obtaining  office  help  tabulate  as  follows: 

Trained  in  own  establishment 101 

From  all  other  sources 142 

From  schools 75 

Stock  holders   4 

From  Trade  Union   0 

Trained  in  part  in  establishment 15 

Not    reporting    85 

The  sources  of  obtaining  superintendents,  foremen,  etc.,  tabulate 
as  follows: 

Trained  in  establishment 182 

From   all   other   sources 95 

From  schools 11 

Stock  holders    12 

Trade  Unions 2 

Trained  in  part  in  own  establishment 9 

Not    reporting    Ill 

The  higher  the  skill  which  is  demanded,  the  greater  the  de- 
pendence on  the  industry  for  training  in  their  own  establishment. 
These  three  tables  show  that  the  greatest  per  cent  of  workers  fur- 
nished by  the  schools  goes  to  the  office  end  of  industry,  the  busi- 
ness and  directive  side.  This  is  the  result  of  the  development  of 
vocational  education  in  business  college  and  engineering  schools. 

The  Trade  Unions  and  Trade  Schools  are  a  negligible  factor  in 
the  supply  of  trained  workers. 

The  attitude  of  employers  of  labor  toward  the  various  types  of 
vocational  schools  tabulated  as  follows: 

On  the  question,  ""Would  the  efficiency  and  opportunity  of  em- 
ployees be  increased  by  public  preparatory  schools  for  pupils  be- 
tween the  ages  of  14  and  16?"  the  vote  stood: 

Yes    302 

Yes  qualified 4 

No   61 

No   qualified    1 

In   doubt 11 

Not  reporting   43 

On  the  question,  "Would  practical  day  trade  schools  giving  one 
year  or  more  to  specialized  'training  to  pupils  after  16  years  of 
age,  meet  the  problem  of  unskilled  employes?"  the  vote  stood: 

Yes 267 

Yes  qualified    * 9 

No  77 

No   qualified    0 

In  doubt   14 

Not  reporting   55 


—72— 

On  the  question,  "Would  part  time  or  evening  schools  help  un- 
skilled workers  to  advance  to  high  grade  positions?"  the  vote 
stood  : 

Yes    263 

Yes  qualified   13 

No  69 

No   qualified    0 

In  doubt  11 

Not  reporting   66 

These  tables  show  a  decided  demand  for  vocational  schools  of  a 
preparatory  grade  for  the  14  to  16  year  old  youth. 

The  employers  of  labor  have  suffered  from  inefficient  help  to 
such  an  extent  that  they  are  in  favor  of  any  form  of  training 
which  will  raise  the  standard  of  efficiency,  although  the  previous 
table  shows  that  their  knowledge  of  trade  schools,  as  far  as  actual 
experience  goes,  is  limited. 

It  is  evident  from  the  employers '  own  statements  that  so  far  as 
they  have  analyzed  their  problem,  aid  from  the  public  schools 
as  they  now  exist  is  only  a  remote  possibility. 

Who  voted  "Yes"? 

1.  The  broad  minded  employer  of  unskilled  help  who  wants  to 
see  the  general  standard  of  education  raised,  though  he  would 
not  profit  directly  by  vocational  education. 

2.  The  man  who  looks  upon  vocational  education  as  a  means  of 
minimizing  the  social  problems  that  grow  out  of  unskilled  em- 
ployment. 

3.  The  man  who  regards  it  both  as  a  means  of  increasing  the  self- 
dependence  and  self-respect  of  the  individual  and  a  means  of 
developing  character  and  moral  responsibility  which  will  as- 
sist in  the  solution  of  labor  problems. 

4.  The  man  who  sees  how  much  his  employees  might  have  done 
had  they  received  training  suited  to  their  ability,  though,  by 
this  fact,  he  would  have  been  deprived  of  their  services. 

5.  The  man  who  believes  in  vocational  education  as  a  means  of 
establishing  the  dignity  of  labor  by  overcoming  the  prejudices 
which  now  prevail  in  favor  of  a  poorly  paid  collar  and  cuff 
aristocracy 

6.  The  man  who  feels  that  a  gap  exists  between  the  school  and 
the  actual  demands  for  discipline,  concentration,  speed  and 
accuracy  necessary  in  business  today. 

7.  The  employer  of  skilled  labor  who  would  profit  directly  by 
the  increased  -efficiency  and  greater  skill  of  his  workers. 


—73— 

8.  The  business  manager  who  sees  in  the  casually  employed  and 
poorly  paid  common  laborer  an  economic  waste  which  might 
have  been  prevented  if  he  had  had  training  suited  to  his 
capacity. 

Who  voted  "No"? 

1.  The  reactionary  who  thinks  the  public  schools  are  trying  to 
do  too  much  already  and  favors  a  return  to  the  "Three  R's." 

2.  The  employer  of  skilled  labor  who  finds  that  public  school 
training  does  not  go  far  enough  to  be  of  real  benefit  to  boys 
who  wish  to  engage  in  his  line  of  work. 

Note:  (This  applies  particularly  to  wood  work.) 

Who  is  in  doubt? 

1.  The  employer  who  fears  the  impossibility  of  giving  practical 
instruction  under  the  present  school  system. 

2.  The  employer  who  doubts  whether  the  boys  and  girls  of  this 
generation  would  take  advantage  of  the  opportunities  offered 
unless  they  were  made  compulsory. 

TYPICAL  REMARKS  OF  VOCATIONAL  TRAINING 
BY  EMPLOYERS  OF  LABOR. 

No.  73.  There  is  no  doubt  that  general  industrial  and  mechani- 
cal efficiency  can  be  raised  to  a  much  higher  standard,  not  only 
by  proper  education  of  those  who  find  themselves  naturally 
adapted  in  any  one  direction,  but  as  well  by  the  elimination  of  the 
many  occupational  misfits.  In  a  matter  so  essential  to  public 
welfare  it  is  well  that  there  should  be  a  more  systematic  endeavor 
to  solve  the  problem,  and  enforce,  if  need  be,  principles  that  may 
be  found  capable  of  producing  salutory  results.  Too  many  men 
adopt  a  trade  or  vocation  before  they  have  had  an  opportunity  to 
learn  whether  or  not  that  trade  or  vocation  will  be  congenial  or  in 
concord  with  their  natural  ability ;  and  too  many  who  decide  on  a 
course  of  occupation,  even  though  peculiarly  fitted  for  that  spe- 
cial work,  labor  on  to  become  proficient  in  the  art  without  a  due 
regard  for  even  the  rudimentary  principles  of  the  science. 

I  am  of  a  firm  opinion  that  the  introduction  of  a  department  of 
commercial  and  mechanical  science  in  our  public  schools  would 
evolve  a  wide  spread  benefit.  The  great  majority  of  young  men 
and  women  leaving  public  schools  face  the  necessity  of  earning  a 
livelihood  by  some  trade  or  commercial  vocation.  While  their  edu- 


—74— 

cation  so  far  as  culture  is  concerned  has  been  quite  thorough,  they 
are  unprepared  to  grasp  the  significance  of  material  responsibil- 
ity, and  are  largely  incapable  of  deciding  on  a  pursuit  best  adapted 
to  their  natural  ability ;  nor  can  it  be  expected  of  their  parents  or 
others  to  decide  for  them  judiciously  without  having  had  a  fair 
opportunity  to  learn  by  practical  test  what  is  and  what  is  not  in 
a  young  man  or  young  woman. 

In  the  mechanical  field  there  is  unlimited  room  for  accomplish- 
ment for  the  right  kind  of  a  young  man,  and  yet  this  great  sec- 
tion of  our  industrial  area  is  filled  with  wasted  opportunities,  and 
burdened  with  individual  failures.  More  practical  education  in 
our  public  schools  could  largely  overcome  this.  By  actual  ex- 
perience boys  and  young  men  should  learn  their  advantages  be- 
fore setting  out  in  a  definite  course,  rather  than  awaken  at  some 
later  time  to  find  themselves  on  the  wrong  road,  when  it  is  proba- 
bly too  late  to  turn  back  and  start  in  the  right  direction.  Further- 
more, the  majority  of  those  adapted  to  mechanical  skill  and  em- 
ployed in  that  kind  of  work  do  not  derive  the  fullest  benefit  from 
their  advantages.  The  apprentice  follows  in  the  footsteps  of  the 
journeyman ;  he  learns  to  perform  without  studying  the  technology 
of  the  art.  While,  of  course,  a  public  school  training  could  not  be 
expected  to  complete  a  technical  education,  it  would,  neverthe- 
less, plan  the  germ,  which  would  develop  in  the  atmosphere  of 
practical  endeavor:  and  by  self -education  the  employee  would 
grow  in  value  not  only  to  himself,  but  also  to  his  employer  and  the 
public  in  general. 

No.  257.  Since  our  work  is  seasonable,  we  necessarily  expect 
and  have  to  accept  unskilled  labor,  and  depend  on  a  few  efficient 
helpers  whom  we  have  trained  to  direct  the  work.  Our  opinion  on 
vocational  education  is  that  it  should  follow  a  thorough  elementary 
school  training  to  be  successful.  The  alert,  active  brain  will  be 
most  efficient  because  it  will  naturally  discipline  itself.  Teach 
children  to  think — and  what  to  think  about.  Skill  in  figures,  in 
the  use  of  language,  is  a  useful  acquirement,  but  integrity  of 
character,  honesty,  prudence  and  frugal  living  seem  to  be  no  part 
of  the  child's  education.  Neatness,  orderliness  and  attention  to 
detail  are  sadly  lacking  in  the  average  worker. 

No.  264.  We  are  in  favor  of  vocational  and  trade  schools,  or 
even  public  schools  with  no  vocational  trade  courses  if  they  will 
only  teach  boys  discipline  and  industry,  and  a  fair  degree  of  ac- 
curacy. This  our  present  school  system  does  not  do.  To  over- 


—75 — 

come  this  weakness,  we  plan  to  establish  a  school  to  teach  boys 
the  elements  of  our  business,  and  to  teach  them  spelling,  arithme- 
tic, and  grammar,  as  the  public  schools  are  not  doing  even  this. 

No.  107.  We  employ  on  an  average  70  people  at  processes  that 
would  not  be  practical  to  teach  in  the 'public  school.  However,  we 
see  that  industry  would  be  improved  by  the  systematic  training  of 
the  youth. 

What  is  needed  most  is  character  training,  the  fundamental 
principles  of  responsibility  and  honesty  in  the  use  of  time.  If  the 
youth  could  be  taught  that  he  is  appreciated  and  rewarded  to  the 
extent  of  the  ambition  and  willingness  he  shows  in  the  interest  of 
his  employers,  the  technical  problems  would  be  of  less  moment 
in  our  business.  The  youth's  choice  of  an  occupation  resolves 
itself  into  ''how  little  can  I  do,  and  how  much  can  I  get?"  This 
spells  the  labor  problem. 

No.  131.  The  trade  schools  would  be  of  great  advantage  to 
workmen  and  employers  alike.  With  proper  opportunity  the  boy 
would  have  formed  a  definite  idea  as  to  which  trade  he  would  like 
to  follow,  and  specialize  in  it,  thus  not  wasting  valuable  time  and 
delaying  his  chances  for  advancement.  An  important  element  in 
such  training  would  be  a  fairly  definite  idea  of  the  compensa- 
tion which  might  be  expected  by  becoming  proficient  in  that  par- 
ticular trade.  Another  feature  which  should  be  brought  to  his 
attention  is  the  relative  healthfulness  of  the  various  trades;  also 
the  average  hours  which  he  might  expect  to  work  during  the  year; 
or  yearly  compensation.  At  as  early  an  age  as  practicable,  the 
student  should  be  allowed  to  select  his  own  course,  but  before 
doing  so  he  should  be  fully  advised  as  to  the  relative  advantages 
and  disadvantages  of  his  prospective  vocations,  as  regards  salary, 
hours,  etc.,  so  that  he  will  not  make  the  mistake  of  spending  the 
best  years  of  his  life  in  becoming  proficient  in  a  branch  which  he 
may  like  as  a  study  or  as  laboratory  work — only  to  find  out  later 
that  the  compensation  or  the  hours  or  something  else  is  not  to  his 
liking. 

No.  236.  1  believe  that  it  is  one  of  the  best  things  that  has  been 
done  along  educational  lines  in  a. good  many  years.  Take  myself, 
as  a  subject.  When  I  went  to  school  we  had  nothing  like  that,  and 
I  was  more  or  less  interested  in  manual  training  work  or  in  fact 
anything  that  had  to  do  with  tools.  -Instead  of  having  that  to 
spend  my  time  on  I  had  to  study  algebra,  etc.,  and  had  nothing  to 
apply  it  on,  and  consequently  I  didn't  know  what  it  was  about. 


—76— 

When  I  got  out  of  school  I  didn't  know  what  I  could  do  or  where 
to  look  for  a  position,  and  for  about  eight  years  I  drifted  from  one 
job  to  another  until  1  finally  fell  into  the  laundry  business.  I  was 
just  like  thousands  of  other  boys  were  and  are  today.  They  don't 
know  what  they  are  fit  for  and  the  man  to  whom  they  apply  for  a 
position  is  too  busy  to  take  chances  on  them,  and  they  do  not  get 
a  job,  or  rather  none  to  their  liking.  I  don't  believe  that  it  would 
help  my  employees  (or  at  least  some  of  them)  very  much  to  at- 
tend these  schools ;  and  I  do  not  believe  it  would  help  me  directly, 
but  indirectly  it  would  help  everybody  a  great  deal. 

No.  311.  There  is  no  doubt  in  my  mind  that  if  competent  in- 
struction in  training  the  boys  in  our  public  schools  to  work  at 
trades  is  given  it  will  enable  them  to  secure  better  wages  and  more 
self  respecting  employment  earlier  than  if  they  are  compelled  to 
secure  this  same  knowledge  after  leaving  school. 

Care  should  be  taken  in  arranging  the  classes  of  instruction  to 
see  that  the  course  of  instruction  is  the  best  that  can  be  adapted 
to  each  individual  boy.  Boys  are  frequently  discouraged  in  their 
efforts  to  help  themselves  to  better  positions  by  finding  themselves 
unfitted  for  the  work  in  which  they  are  employed  and  not  under- 
standing how  to  make  a  change  to  a  more  suitable  occupation. 

Every  boy  should  be  taught  a  trade  but  every  boy  should  not  be 
required  to  learn  the  same  trade.  Technical  and  industrial  courses 
should  be  open  to  boys  who  show7  sufficient  proficiency  and  intelli- 
gence in  their  trade  classes  but  should  not  be  compulsory.  Every 
boys  should  learn  first  to  use  his  hands  to  best  advantage  to  earn  his 
living,  and  when  he  has  learned  this  thoroughly  he  may  be  taught 
the  more  advanced  problems  in  his  trade. 

No.  410.  The  need  is  certainly  an  urgent  one  of  having  schools 
where  young  men  may  be  taught  the  different  lines  of  trade.  The 
business  colleges  throughout  the  country  are  doing  a  great  thing 
for  increasing  the  efficiency  of  office  help,  but  schools  which  would 
train  a  young  man  in  the  proper  lines  for  efficiency  in  factory  work 
are  just  as  essential. 

It  would  appear  to  me  that  the  establishment  of  trade  or  in- 
dustrial schools  to  take  hold  of  the  boy  at  the  time  he  graduates 
from  the  grade  schools  would  be  about  the  right  place.  Of  course, 
the  average  boy  at  that  age  doesn't  know  what  he  wants  to  do, 
but  by  making  the  course  about  two  years  long,  would  enable  him 
to  decide  in  a  better  way.  Or,  if  he  had  two  years  of  high  school 
and  then  went  to  a  trade  school,  it  would  work  out  nicely. 


77 . 

The  specialist  is  the  man  who  is  wanted  nowadays,  and  the 
one  who  commands  the  wages.  And  the  boy  who  enters  factory 
work  by  first  working  here  and  then  changing  time  and  time  again 
generally  doesn't  buy  bank  bonds.  One  thing  that  should  be 
taught  in  these  schools  is  the  relation  of  employer  to  employee,  or 
the  relation  of  capital  to  labor,  and  made  to  see  how  one  can't 
exist  without  the  support  of  the  other.  The  boy  thus  trained 
would  be  in  demand  by  every  manufacturer  and  his  influence  with 
fellow  workers  would  be  of  immense  value. 

No.  2.  A  little  would  do  no  good, arid  possibly  harm — especial- 
ly if  it  were  crowded  in  as  a  part  of  the  present  system.  A 
thorough  training  by  competent  instructors  covering  several  years 
of  school  work  following  a  thorough  foundation  in  the  common 
branches  would  be  a  blessing  to  the  students  and  the  community 
at  large. 

No.  50.  Don't  take  any  stock  in  it.  A  thorough  drill  confined 
to  the  three  E's  is  my  idea  of  a  public  school  education.  The  pub- 
lic schools  are  attempting  too  much  now  and  are  doing  nothing 
thoroughly. 

No.  205.  We  believe  that  the  education  derived  from  public 
school  work  is  but  little  advantage  in  our  line  of  work,  as  it  does 
not  take  them  sufficiently  far  into  the  work.  They  simply  get  a 
slight  idea  of  how  to  handle  tools  and  machines,  and  some  theory. 
Do  not  go  into  it  far  enough,  do  not  get  down  to  the  actual  prac- 
tice, so  that  they  can  go  into  a  factory  and  accomplish  results. 

No.  17.  Vocational  work  must  be  taught  by  thorough  mechanics 
who  have  had  thorough  training.  Us.ually,  workers  taught  by  old 
fogy  methods  are  worse  than  those  who  have  never  had  training, 
and  to  be  of  any  value  in  a  modern  shop  must  forget  what  he  was 
wrongly  taught,  and  on  which  he  has  wasted  his  time  and  money. 

No.  1.  As  a  general  proposition  we  may  state  that  we  are  not 
entirely  stisfied  that  our  present  public  school  system  is  so  de- 
signed as  to  best  serve  its  purpose  for  the  people  as  a  whole.  We 
believe,  for  example,  that  our  high  schools  are  so  organized  and 
the  course  of  study  is  so  outlined  that  it  is  more  suitable  in  pre- 
paring students  for  higher  studies,  such  as  the  University,  than  it 
is  in  preparing  them  for  a  beginning  in  any  of  the  various  walks 
of  life  that  they  will  follow.  When  it  is  taken  into  consideration 
that  a  very  small  proportion  of  all  of  the  scholars  get  to  the  Uni- 
versity, the  condition  is  brought  more  forcibly  to  mind. 


—78— 

The  same  thing  is  true  in  relation  to  grade  schools  below  the 
high  school,  as  many  scholars  do  not  have  an  opportunity  to  go 
to  high  school.  "We  believe,  therefore,  that  both  the  grade  schools 
and  the  high  schools  should  be  so  arranged  as  to  best  fit  the  larg- 
est number  of  pupils  to  take  an  active  part  in  the  life  of  the  com- 
munity and  become  in  the  shortest  possible  time  useful,  produc- 
tive, upright,  honest  citizens,  who  will  contribute  the  most  to  the 
improvement  of  their  respective  communities  and  the  welfare  of 
the  State  as  a  whole  in  the  largest  degree. 

No.  202.  A  good  high  school  education  to  develop  minds  and 
special  training,  if  done  by  a  practical  shitted  tradesman,  would 
help  every  young  man  in  "making  good"  in  his  chosen  vocation, 
there  is  no  doubt.  But  if  he  is  instructed  by  a  teacher  of  theory 
only,  he  is  worth  less  in  a  factory  than  one  without  such  instruc- 
tion, because  at  the  age  of  16  to  20  boys  are  very  wise  anyway. 
If  they  think  they  are  "First  Class"  educated  machinists,  for 
instance,  they  usually  know  more  than  the  superintendent  who 
got  his  trade  as  an  apprentice  in  actual  practice.  Education  is  es- 
sential to  high  class  skilled  labor,  especially  in  mechanical  lines, 
but  only  as  a  foundation.  Actual  practice  is  necessary  to  reach 
the.  efficiency  required  in  manufacturing  and  any  instructions 
should  be  given  as  laying  the  foundation  and  not  as  making  ma- 
chinists or  mechanics  who  can  go  into  a  shop  or  factory  and  de- 
mand first  class  wages.  They  should  rank  about  third  class. 

No.  272.  Have  no  opinion  in  this  matter,  but  have  not  found 
high  school  students  very  good  help,  as  in  most  cases  they  won't 
go  down  and  do  the  dirty  work  that  is  necessary  to  be  learned 
before  they  are  capable  of  handling  better  grades  of  work.  Have 
also  found  they  watch  for  whistle  time  too  carefully,  have  too 
many  schemes  for  rapid  advancement  to  be  willing  to  learn  thor- 
oughly at  wages -in  keeping  with  their  ability.  Have  found  the 
young  married  man  the  best  worker,  but  in  this  class  have  had 
trouble  in  finding  men  even  after  several  years'  experience  capable 
of  directing  shop  work.  Our  plant  being  small,  one  man  now  acts 
as  manager  of  the  whole  works,  not  from  choice  but  on  account  of 
not  being  able  to  find  the  right  man  to  take  complete  charge  of 
our  shop,  with  never  more  than  six  machine  men  and  from  one 
to  six  painters  and  laborers.  During  the  slack  season  we  run  a 
much  smaller  force. 

The  young  fellow  with  some  training  in  school,  willing  to  get 
several  years'  experience  at  from  $2  to  $3  a  day  should  find  many 


—79— 

good  jobs  waiting  for  him  in  small  establishments  like  ours  with 
good  chance  of  advancement  as  the  business  grows. 

No.  306.  We  think  it  is  a  good  thing,  yet  we  don't  know  that 
it  would  be  of  particular  benefit  to  our  particular  business.  All 
our  office  girls  need  is  a  high  school  education  in  addition  tc 
stenography.  Our  factory  girls  only  need  brains  enough  to  paste 
labels  on  neatly,  etc.,  and  make  speed.  The  average  girl  we  get 
is  a  pretty  poor  stick,  for  some  reason.  They  either  have  not  been 
endowed  with  enough  brains  to  progress,  or  else  they  don't  want 
to;  we  don't  know  which.  At  any  rate  we  find  very  few  who  have 
any  ambition.  They  want  plenty  of  money,  but  they  don't  seem 
to  want  to  develop  brains  to  get  it,  or  to  realize  that  in  order  to 
earn  a  good  salary  they  must  be  able  to  render  efficient  service  in 
return.  "We  don't  pay  very  high  wages,  but  the  ones  we  hire  are 
not  worth  more.  We  would  much  prefer  to  have  a  higher  class  of 
workers  who  would  produce  higher  volume  and  grade  of  work 
and  get  more  money.  la  order  to  have  them  learn  more,  they 
would  have  to  be  forced  to  go  to  school  longer,  and  be  made  to 
become  more  efficient  workers  and  better  citizens. 


ATTITUDE  OF  ORGANIZED  LABOR  TOWARD 
VOCATIONAL  TRAINING. 

The  data  analyzed  below  appears  in  the  Sixteenth  Biennial  Re- 
port of  the  Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics : 

Analysis.  Questionnaires  sent  out  to  the  different  Labor  Or- 
ganizations brought  96  replies  stating  their  attitude  toward  voca- 
tional training.  These  represent  people  engaged  in  the  various 
processes  requiring  the  different  degrees  of  skill  ncessary  in  twen- 
ty-nine different  types  of  occupations  as  follows: 

1.  Barbers.  16.  Miners. 

2.  Bartenders.      ,  17.  Moulders. 

3.  Blacksmiths.  18.  Painters. 

4.  Brewers.  19.  Plumbers. 

5.  Bricklayers.  20.  Pressmen. 

6.  Cigar  Makers.  21.  Sheet  Metal  Workers. 

7.  Car  men.  22.  Stage  Employes. 

8.  Carpenters.  23.  Street  Railway. 

9.  Clerks,  Postoffice.  24.  Switchmen. 

10.  Conductors.  25.  Teamsters  and  Chauffers. 

11.  Electrical  Workers.  26.  Trades  Assembly. 

12.  Engineers,  Locomotive.  27.  Trainmen. 

13.  Engineers,  Stationary.  28.  Typographical. 

14.  Engravers.  29.  Miscellaneous. 

15.  Machinists. 

1.  On  the   question   of   pre-vocational   courses  in   the   grades, 
aimed  at  a  round  of  experiences,  rather  than  skill  as  a  means  of 
discovering  aptitudes,  abilities  and  interests  in  such  types  of  work 
as  lend  themselves  readily  to  projects,  the  returns  tabulated : 

Yes,  79 ;  No,  14 ;  No  answer,  3. 

2.  On  the  question  of  public  industrial  or  preparatory  schools, 
for  children  between  the  ages  of  14  and  16,  which  are  of  a  gen- 
eral nature,  aimed  at  industrial  intelligence  rather  than  skill,  the 
returns  tabulated: 

Yes,  82;  No,  11;  No  answer,  3. 

3.  On  the  question  of  trade  schools,  where  intensive  work  is 
given  during  a  short  time  under  trade  conditions  in  trade  hours, 
which  prepare  directly  for  the  occupation  and  shorten  the  period 
of  apprenticeship,  the  returns  tabulated : 

Yes,  77;  No,  18;  No  answer,  1. 

4.  On   the   question   of  technical   courses   in   the   high   school 
which  do  not  train  the  worker  for  a  specific  occupation,  but  rather 


-81— 

aim  to  give  a  knowledge  of  materials,  tools  and  processes  to  the 
youth  who  is  to  enter  in  the  business  and  directive  side  of  indus- 
try, the  returns  tabulated: 

In  regular  high  school :  Yes,  46 ;  No,  28 ;  No  answer,  22. 

In  separate  institutions:  Yes,  40;  No,  22;  No  answer,  34. 

5.  On  the  question  of  continuation  schools  in  which  children 
between  the  ages  of  14  and  18  who  have  left  school  for  work, 
return  one-half  day  per  week  for  instruction  aimed  to  promote 
general  intelligence  and  good  citizenship;  or  are  trained  out  of 
the  job  in  which  they  are,  tojin  occupation  in  line  with  their 
ability,  the  returns  tabulated: 

Yes,  60;  No,  30;  No  answer,  6. 

6.  On  the  question  of  part-time  schools  in  which  an  alterna- 
tion of  work  in  school  is  made  with  the  work  in  the  shop,  where 
the  pupil  engages  in  productive  employment,  the  worker  receiv- 
ing a  wage  during  his  learning  period,  and  the  product  being  con- 
sumed in  the  general  market,  the  returns  tabulated: 

Yes,  55;  No,  34;  No  answer,  7. 

7.  On  the  question  of  evening  schools  of  elementary  grade  which 
train  for  citizenship,  the  returns  tabulated : 

Yes,  65;  No,  23;  No  answer,  5. 

8.  On  the  question  of  public  evening  courses  adapted  to  people 
with  a  common  background  and  a  common  need,  to  learn  new 
processes,  the  use  of  new  tools,  or  who  wish  to  fit  themselves  for 
better  positions,  the  returns  tabulated: 

Yes,  78;  No,  9;  No  answer,  6. 

9.  On  the  question  whether  labor  organizations  should  co-oper- 
ate in  the  establishment  of  such  schools,  the  returns  tabulated: 

Yes,  65;  No,  3;  No  answer,  25;  Qualified,  3. 

The  remarks  which  follow  indicate  a  general  sentiment  fav- 
orable to  these  schools,  which  are,  in  the  main,  considered  desir- 
able: 

1.  As  a  means  of  interesting  the  pupils  who  now  drop  out  of 
school  in  large  numbers. 

2.  As  a  means  of  discovering  the  ability,  inclination  and  capac- 
ity of  the  individual,  thus  helping  in  an  intelligent  choice  of 
a  life  work. 

3.  As  a  means  of  supplementing,   not  supplanting,   the  educa- 
tional opportunities  now  offered  at  public  expense. 


—82— 

4.  As  a  source  of  supply  of  apprentices  in  skilled  trades  and 
industries,  who  have  tried  themselves    out    on    the    funda- 
mental processes.     This  training  done  under  proper  condi- 
tions, would  shorten  the  period  of  apprenticeship   required 
for  entrance  to  a  trade. 

5.  As  a  means  of  establishing  a  sense  of  responsibility  of  the 
worker  for  his  work,  the  dignity  of  labor,  the  integrity  of  the 
craft,   and  a  knowledge  of  the  mutual   dependence  and  re- 
sponsibilities of  the  employer  and  the  employee. 

6.  As  a  means  of  securing  larger  returns  from  the  wage  earn- 
ing careers,  in  enjoyment  and  progress  in  one's  chosen  work, 
and   a   fuller  participation   in   the   benefits  of  public   educa- 
tion for  the  masses  whose  years  of  schooling  are  limited. 

The  following  replies  are  typical : 

No.  29.  Labor  organizations  should  encourage  the  establish- 
ment of  industrial  courses  and  apprentices  should  be  recruited 
from  the .  same.  They  should  encourage  their  own  men,  particu- 
larly those  who  have  had  a  successful  experience  as  actual  work- 
ers, in  teaching  industrial  courses  as  it  is  only  in  proportion  as 
shop  conditions  as  they  actually  exist  and  are  reproduced  in  ma- 
terial, processes,  product  arid  teaching  conditions,  that  this  work 
will  be  successful.  The  pupil  will  learn  that  he  can  profit  only  to 
the  extent  of  his  industry;  this  will  be  an  incentive  even  to  the 
drone. 

The  cultural  side  of  education  should  not  be  neglected;  by 
proper  balance  alone  can  the  worker  profit  to  the  full  extent  of 
his  power  and  reach  his  maximum  of  working  and  social  efficiency. 
Many  men  fail  in  life  because  of  "lop-sided  education" — all  skill 
and  no  culture  or  mental  training,  or  all  culture  and  mental 
training  and  no  knowledge  and  skill. 

Vocational  training  will  fail  as  long  as  it  is  taught  by  college 
trained  men  and  women  who  have  neither  time  nor  inclination 
to  rub  elbows  with  conditions  as  they  actually  exist  and  their  judg- 
ments are  formed  from  people  who  have  written  about  rather 
than  lived  in  the  industries. 

If  vocational  training  ever  plays  an  important  part  in  the  lives 
of  any  generation,  it  will  do  so  as  the  hand-maiden  of  indus- 
trial education — to  be  taught  by  experienced  artisans  engaged 
in  teaching  trades  in  the  schools  of  the  future. 


—  83— 

No.  67.  The  most  competent  mechanics  in  labor  organizations 
favor  anything  which  would  educate  their  members  or  prospective 
members  wherever  possible.  It  is  necessary  to  investigate  the 
pupil's  fitness  for  an  occupation  before  his  decision  is  made. 
Manual  training  as  it  is  taught  gives  the  pupil  only  a  slight  and 
limited  acquaintance  with  tools  and  materials,  and  discovers,  in 
some  few  instances,  a  skill  or  interest  which  has  some  bearing 
in  the  selection  of  an  occupation.  It  is  not  vocational  education. 
A  man's  'skill  is  usually  on  a  par  with  his  culture  and  general 
education.  His  efficiency  and  his  standards  of  living  are  inter- 
related. The  part  time  system^  is  the  most  feasible  plan. 

No.  78.  The  child's  haphazard  choice  of  jobs  results  in  shifting 
from  place  to  place,  wasting  from  two  to  four  years,  trying  to 
find  work  for  which  he  may  have  some  liking;  or  never  finding 
it,  remains  an  unskilled  laborer,  casually  employed.  The  state 
could  better  afford  to  bear  the  cost  of  such  training  for  its 
citizens,  as  it  would  make  them  less  liable  to  need  support  or  pun- 
ishment from  the  state. 

The  only  organization  which  opposed  the  propositions,  assigned 
the  reasons  for  its  attitude,  as  follows : 

1.  It  would  raise  the  taxes  enormously. 

2.  It  would  lessen  the  number  of  apprentices  to  choose  from. 

3.  Apprenticeship  is  the  best  school. 

4.  It  is  best  to  leave  vocational  education  to  private  schools. 


THE   EMPLOYMENT   CERTIFICATE   PROVISION  OF 
LAWS    OF    DIFFERENT    STATES. 

The  "employment  certificate,"  or  "age  and  schooling  certifi- 
cate." as  it  is  called  in  some  states,  is  essential  for  the  enforce- 
ment of  the  compulsory  school  attendance  and  child  labor  law. 
It  may  be  described  as  the  document  by  which  the  child  establishes 
his  legal  right  to  enter  employment,  and  by  which  the  employer 
secures  himself  against  unknowing  violation  of  the  law.  It  not 
only  is  the  means  of  checking-up  the  age  of  the  child,  but  it  is 
the  means  of  imposing  certain  other  requirements  upon  those 
children  who  seek  to  leave  school  and  enter  employment.  It  ought 
in  all  cases  to  be  the  means  by  which  the  local  school  authorities 
keep  account  of  those  children  who  go  to  work. 

The  purpose  of  child  labor  legislation  is  to  give  the  child  an 
opportunity  for  education  and  normal  development,  to  prevent 
exploitation  at  the  period  of  youth  at  which  training  of  the  child 
is  necessary.  The  regulation  of  child  labor  is  as  much  an  educa- 
tional problem  as  it  is  a  labor  problem.  In  the  enforcement  of 
child  labor  legislation  the  school  authorities  in  each  community 
are  as  much  needed  as  the  state  labor  inspectors.  The  employ- 
ment certificate  issued  by  the  local  school  authority  and  checked 
up  by  the  state  labor  inspectors,  in  the  places  of  employment, 
brings  both  agencies  into  co-operation  with  the  greatest  advantage 
to  each. 

Wherever  the  compulsory  education  law  requires  that  children 
attend  school  up  to  16  years,  unless  over  14  years  of  age  and  regu- 
larly employed  (or  unless  the  child  has  completed  the  eighth 
grade),  as  in  Iowa,  there  can  be  little  satisfactory  enforcement  of 
the  law  without  the  educational  authorities  having  a  record  of 
every  child  under  the  age  of  16  that  leaves  school  and  enters  em- 
ployment, and  some  means  of  knowing  when  the  employment 
terminates. 

The  important  provisions  of  what  might  be  called  a  model  law 
in  regard  to  employment  certificates  are  as  follows  (practically 
the  provisions  of  the  Ohio  law)  : 

No  child  under  16  to  be  employed  unless  the  child  presents  to  the  em- 
ployer an  "age  and  schooling,"  or  employment  certificate,  issued  in  ac- 


—85— 

cordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  law,  which  certificate  must  be  kept 
on  file  by  the  employer  during  the  child's  employment. 

These  employment  certificates  to  be  issued  only  by  the  superintendent 
of  schools  in  the  city  or  county  in  which  the  child  resides,  or  by  someone 
designated  by  him  in  writing. 

On  termination  of  the  employment  the  certificate  must  be  returned  by 
the  employer  to  the  issuing  office. 

The  issuing  authority  may  not  issue  a  certificate  until  the  following 
documents  have  been  received  and  placed  on  file: 

(1)  The  pledge  of  the  employer  that  he  expects  to  employ  the  child, 
and  will  return  the  certificate  to  the  issuing  office  as  soon  as  the  child 
leaves  his  employ. 

(2)  The  School  Record  of  the  child,  as  provided  in  the  law,  stating 
the  age,  ability  'to  read  and  write,  and  school  grade. 

(3)  Evidence  of  Age,  in  the  following  order:      (a)    Birth  certificate, 
(b)  Baptismal  record  or  passport,  (c)  school  record  or  other  documentary 
evidence,    (d)   In  lieu  of  anything  else,  affidavit  of  the  parent  with  one, 
or  two,  disinterested  citizens. 

The  child  must  personally  appear  before  the  issuing  officer  and  be 
examined,  and  such  officer  must  satisfy  himself  that  the  child  is  14  years 
of  age,  is  able  to  read  and  write  English,  and  has  had  a  course  of  in- 
struction equivalent  to  seven  yearly  grades  in  the  public  schools. 

(4)  A  certificate  from  the  school  physician,  or  if  there  should  be  none, 
of  the  board  of  health,  or  if  there  be  no  board  of  health  in  the  school 
district  in  question,  from  a  licensed  physician  appointed  by  the  board  of 
education,  showing  that  the  child  is  physically  able  to  do  the  work  for 
which  it  is  to  be  employed. 

The  employment  certificate  is  to  be  transmitted  by  the  issuing  officer 
to  the  employer,  and  does  not  at  any  time  become  the  property  of  the 
child,  to  be  used  as  a  license  for  idleness. 

The  School  Record  must  be  signed  by  the  principal  of  the  school  that 
the  child  last  attended,  and  must  state  the  child's  age,  its  ability  to  read 
and  write,  and  the  grade  in  school  which  it  has  attained. 

The  blanks  for  the  certificates  are  to  be  furnished  by  the  Commissioner 
of  Labor  of  the  state,  and  on  the  1st  and  10th  days  of  each  month  the 
Superintendent  of  Schools  or  other  person  authorized  to  issue  employ- 
ment certificate  shall  transmit  to  the  office  of  the  Commissioner  of  Labor, 
upon  blanks  to  be  furnished  by  him,  a  list  of  names  of  children  to  whom 
certificates  have  been  issued,  returned  or  refused.  Such  lists  shall  give 
the  names  and  address  of  the  prospective  employer,  and  the  nature  of  the 
occupation  in  which  the  child  intends  to  engage. 

Labor  Inspectors  and  Truant  Officers  may  demand  that  certificates  be 
obtained  to  prove  the  age  of  children  apparently  under  16,  but  who  claim 
to  be  over  that  age. 

The  qualifications  included  in  the  provisions  for  employment  certifi- 
cates in  the  laws  of  different  states  come  under  three  headings:  (1) 
Proof  of  Age,  (2)  Educational  Qualifications,  (3)  Physical  Qualifications. 

Proof  of  Age.  The  only  certain  proof  of  age  is  the  birth  certificate. 
Unfortunately  birth  registration  has  not  been  complete  in  Iowa,  nor  in 


—86— 


many  other  states,  at  least  not  for  14  years.  The  order  in  which  different 
proofs  are  required  under  the  present  Iowa  law  is  satisfactory. 

Educational  Qualifications.  The  educational  requirements  of  children 
applying  for  employment  certificates  vary  a  great  deal  in  the  laws  of 
different  states. 

Twenty-six  states  require  that  children  be  able  to  read  and  write 
English.  Illinois  requires  literacy  but  not  necessarily  ability  to  read 
and  write  English. 

Quite  a  number  of  states  require  the  attainment  of  certain  grades  in 
the  public  schools,  or  equivalent  instruction: 


4th    Grade 

Michigan 
West   Virginia 

5th   Grade 

Maryland 

New    Jersey 
Wisconsin 

6th    Grade 

Arkansas 
Kentucky 
New  York 
Ohio,  boys 
(girls  7th) 
Oregon 

8th    Grade 

Colorado 
Nebraska 
New    Hampshire 
Vermont 
California 
(unless  15  yrs 
old) 

A  greater  number  of  states  require  attendance  at  school  for  a  minimum 
number  of  days  either  during  the  year  previous  to  the  birthday  at  which 
the  child  becomes  old  enough  to  go  to  work,  or  during  the  year  previous 
to  the  time  the  certificate  was  issued: 


Entire    School 
Year 

Maryland 
Massachusetts 
Ohio 
Oklahoma 

130  Days 

Delaware 
Dist.  Columbia 
New   Jersey 
New  York 


160   Days 


Oregon 


150  days  %    School  Year 

New    Hampshire      Nebraska 


120  Days 


North    Dakota 


lO'O  Days 


Michigan 
Utah 


12  Weeks  or 
Less 

Florida 
Georgia 
South  Dakota 


Instruction  in  certain  specified  subjects,  usually  reading,  writing,  spell- 
ing, geography  and  arithmetic  through  common  fractions,  is  required  in 
the  following  states:  Kentucky,  Florida,  Maine,  North  Dakota,  Oregon. 

Physical  Qualifications.  Nine  states  require  that  a  medical  examination 
be  made  of  the  child  and  a  signed  statement  from  the  examining  physician 
be  filed  with  the  issuing  officer  before  a  certificate  can  be  granted.  This 
statement  certifies  that  the  child  is  physically  able  to  do  the  work  for 
which  it  is  to  be  employed.  New  York  state  has  developed  the  medical 
examination  of  the  children  to  the  highest  degree  of  any  state. 

In  seven  states  the  issuing  authority  is  not  permitted  to  grant  a  cer- 
tificate tb  the  child  unless  such  child  seems  to  him  to  be  physically  fit  to 
perform  the  work  that  he  is  going  to  do.  These  states  are:  Connecticut, 
District  of  Columbia,  Idaho,  Michigan,  Nebraska,  Utah,  and  West  Virginia. 


—87— 

In  Indiana,  Louisiana,  Missouri,  North  Dakota  and  Oklahoma,  certifi- 
cates from  a  physician  may  be  required  by  the  issuing  officer  whenever 
he  has  any  doubt  about  the  applicant  for  an  employment  certificate  being 
able  to  do  the  work  for  which  it  is  to  be  employed. 

The  states  that  have  a  medical  examination  as  a  part  of  the  require- 
ment for  an  employment  certificate  are  as  follows: 

New  York.  Kentucky. 

Massachusetts.  New  Hampshire. 

Ohio.  Rhode  Island. 

New  Jersey.  Minnesota. 
Maryland. 

Changes  have  already  been  planned  for  the  coming  session  of  the  Legis- 
lature in  the  Child  Labor  Law  of  Illinois,  that  will  include  a  complete 
medical  examination  of  applicants  for  employment  certificates  on  the  same 
plan  as  that  of  New  York. 

In  thirty-seven  states  employment  certificates  are  issued  by  the  super- 
intendent of  schools  or  local  school  authorities.  In  eight  states  only,  no 
employment  certificates  are  required,  the  affidavit  of  the  parent  being  ac- 
cepted as  proof  of  age.  In  Oregon  the  certificate  is  issued  by  the  Board  of 
Inspection  of  Child  Labor.  In  Porto  Rico  they  are  issued  by  the  munic- 
ipal secretary.  In  Virginia  they  are  issued  by  notary  publics  and  amount 
to  little  more  than  parents'  affidavits. 

The  following  states  in  which  certificates  are  issued  by  the  school  au- 
thorities have  these  requirements,  omitting  the  proofs  of  age: 
Arkansas  Ability  to  read  and  write  English. 

Completion  of  Sixth  Grade. 
California   Read  and  write  English. 

Written  request  from  prospective  employer. 
Colorado Literacy — English. 

Eighth  Grade  (School  Superintendent  or  Juvenile 

Court  Judge  may  exempt). 
Connecticut Literacy — English. 

Knowledge  of  fractions. 

Physical  fitness. 
Delaware Literacy — English. 

130  days'  attendance  in  school,  preceding  year. 
District  of  Columbia  . .  Physical  fitness. 

Literacy — English. 

130  days'  school  attendance  previous  year. 

Knowledge  of  certain  fundamental  subjects. 
Florida Literacy — English. 

60  days'  school  attendance  previous  year. 

Instruction  in  certain  fundamental  subjects. 

Georgia 12  weeks'  school  attendance  previous  year. 

Idaho Literacy — English. 

Knowledge  of  certain  fundamental  subjects, 

Physical  fitness. 


—88— 

Illinois  If  illiterate,  can  be  employed  only  when  evening 

schools  are  in  session. 

Indiana Certificate  of  physical  fitness  may  be  determined 

by  the  factory  inspector. 

Where  vocational  school  with  part  time  classes, 
Board  of  Education  may  require  attendance  five 
hours  weekly  between  8  a.  m.  and  5  p.  m.  of 
youths  14  to  16. 

Kansas  Compulsory  school  attendance  to  15,  except  those 

who  can  read  and  write  English,  and  are  neces- 
sarily employed.  These  need  attend  only  eight 
weeks. 

Kentucky Literacy— English. 

Sixth  Grade  or  equivalent. 

Instruction  in  .certain  fundamental  subjects. 

Employer's  pledge  to  employ  child. 

Medical  examination  to  determine  fitness  for  work. 

Louisiana (Certificates  required  for  girls  to  18  years.) 

Factory  inspector  may  demand  certificate  of  physi- 
cal fitness. 

Maine   Literacy— English. 

A  test  in  certain  fundamental  subjects,  or  certifi- 
cate of  regular  attendance  at  night  school. 
School  authority  may  require  certificate  of  fitness. 

Maryland Literacy— English, 

Fifth  Grade. 

School  attendance  entire  year  previous. 
Certificate   of  physician   appointed  by   issuing  of- 
ficer showing  that  child  has  attained  normal  de- 
velopment,  is   in   sound   health,   and  physically 
able  to  do  the  work  applied  for. 
Certificate  must  contain  name  and  address  of  the 
employer,  and  is  good  only  for  that  employment. 
Special  vacation  certificate  granted. 

Massachusetts School  attendance  full  two  years  previous. 

Physical  examination. 

Michigan   Literacy— English, 

Fourth  Grade  test. 

100  days'  school  attendance  year  previous  to  14th 
birthday. 

Minnesota   Literacy— English. 

Certificate  from  physician  designated  by  School 
Board  attesting  fitness  for  intended  occupation. 

Missouri Literacy — English. 

Appearance  in  person  of  child  and  examination  by 
issuing  officer  of  physical  condition  and  liter- 
acy. 

Certificate  of  physical  fitness  from  Board  of  Health 
if  officer  requests. 


-89— 

Montana Literacy — English. 

Nebraska Literacy — English, 

Attendance  three-fourths  year  previous  to  becom- 
ing 14  years  of  age. 
Completion  of  Eighth  Grade  or  attendance  at  night 

school. 

Signed  statement  as  to  literacy,  age  and  physical 
condition. 

New  Hampshire Literacy — English. 

300    half   days'    school    attendance   the   preceding 

year. 
Certificate    of    physical    fitness    from    Board    of 

Health. 

(School   attendance   compulsory   up   to   16   unless 
have  completed  the  Grammar  school.) 

New  Jersey Literacy — English. 

Fifth  Grade  tests. 

130  days'  school  attendance  previous  year. 

Medical    examination. 

New  York  (Issued  by  Boards  of  Health.) 

Literacy — English. 

Sixth  Grade. 

130  days'  school  attendance  previous  year. 

Medical  examination  by  Board  of  Health. 

North  Carolina Certificate  as  to  school  attendance,  and  statement 

of  parent  required  under  13  and  over  12  years. 

North  Dakota Literacy — English. 

A  knowledge  of  certain  fundamental  subjects. 
120  days'  school  attendance  previous  year. 
Personal  appearance  of  child  before  issuing  officer. 
Physical  fitness  ia  doubtful  cases  to  be  determined 
by  the  health  officer. 

Ohio    (Certificates  required  of  boys  15  to  16  years;    girls 

16  to  18  years.) 
Sixth  Grade  tests  for  boys. 
Seventh  Grade  tests  for  girls. 
School  attendance  full  previous  year. 
Written  pledge  of  employer  to  employ  a  child  and 
return  certificate  to  issuing  officer. 

Oklahoma Literacy — English. 

School  attendance  full  previous  year. 
Issuing  officer  must  be  satisfied  that  child  is  phys- 
ically able  to  perform  work. 

If  doubtful,  physical  fitness  determined  by  health 
officer. 

Pennsylvania    Literacy — English. 

Rhode  Island Literacy — English. 

Physical  examination. 


—90— 

South  Dakota (Certificates  required  under  14  years  for  employ- 
ment during  school  term.) 
12  weeks'  school  attendance,  during  the  year. 

Utah   Literacy — English. 

100  days'  school  attendance  year  previous  to  14th 

birthday. 
Appearance  in  person  of  child. 

Vermont Certificates  required  of  child  under  16  unless  has 

completed  9  years'  school  course. 

Washington Certificates  required  only  under  15  years  for  em- 
ployment in  school   term. 

West  Virginia Literacy — English. 

Fourth  Grade  test. 

Normal  physical  development  and  fitness  for  work. 
(Examination  by  Board  of  Health  Officers  in  case 
of  doubt.) 

Wisconsin   Literacy — English, 

Passed  the  Fifth  Grade,  or  attended  school  at  least 

7  years. 

Statement   by    employer    of   intention    to    employ 
child. 

The  present  child  labor  law  in  Iowa  provides  no  such  check 
upon  either  the  compulsory  school  attendance  or  upon  the  employ- 
ment of  children.  The  local  school  authorities  have  no  record  of 
the  children  who  enter  employment  except  as  they  show  up  as 
absentees  from  school.  If  the  city  is  small  enough  and  the  truant 
officer  has  sufficient  time,  he  may  investigate  all  absentees  and 
find  those  that  are  employed  by  visits  to  the  home,  then  to  the 
places  of  employment.  The  truant  officer,  or  the  school  superin- 
tendent, has  no  means  of  knowing  when  the  child  ceases  its  em- 
ployment and  should,  under  the  compulsory  education  law,  be  re- 
turned to  school. 

In  few  Iowa  cities  can  records  be  had  of  the  children  between 
the  ages  of  14  to  16,  employed  in  different  industries. 

Through  enforcement  of  the  compulsory  education  law  and  re- 
lief work,  sometimes  necessary  to  keep  pupils  in  school,  Muscatine, 
with  the  co-operation  of  an  aroused  public  interest,  has  been  able 
to  furnish  complete  records  of  all  children  between  the  ages  of 
fourteen  and  sixteen  years,  on  the  basis  of  the  school  census. 

A  signed  statement  from  the  child's  parents  as  to  his  age  and 
regular  employment  is  necessary  before  the  child  leaves  school. 
This  is  verified  from  school  records.  If  he  has  completed  the  8th 
grade,  the  school  has  no  further  jurisdiction;  if  not,  the  school 
keeps  track  of  him  until  16  years  of  age. 


Q1 

U  J_"~  " 

Co-operation  with  the  employers  has  been  developed  so  that  they 
report  whenever  a  child  leaves  their  employ,  thus  enabling  him 
to  return  to  school  at  once. 

Children  may  work  ten  hours  a  day  in  Iowa.  There  is  no  regu- 
lation of  street  trades  in  cities.  Employment  under  sixteen  is 
prohibited  after  9  P.  M.  in  certain  employments,  not  including 
work  in  hotels  or  messenger  service. 

Though  this  paper  deals  with  the  age  and  schooling  certificate, 
the  hours  of  labor,  regulated  and  prohibited  employments  and 
their  exemptions  have  a  significant  bearing  on  school  work. 


VOCATIONAL  GUIDANCE. 

A  realization  of  the  educational,  economic  and  social  waste  which 
takes  place  in  the  transition  from  school  to  work  has  started  an 
interest  in  the  Vocational  Guidance  movement.  That  this  waste 
occurs  whenever  the  transition  occurs,  from  the  grade  school  drop- 
out to  the  university  graduate,  indicates  that  there  has  been  an 
omission  on  the  part  of  the  home,  the  school  and  the  public  in 
safeguarding  the  youth  against  the  haphazard  choice,  either  of 
work  or  further  training.  From  workshops,  from  factories,  and 
from  the  ranks  of  professional  men  comes  the  same  statement  of 
drift,  or  chance,  or  mere  whim,  as  decisive  factors  in  the  choice  of 
an  occupation.  Many  employers  of  labor  testified,  out  of  their 
own  experiences,  that  few  people  have  any  information  concern- 
ing the  various  fields  of  endeavor  open  to  them,  and  know  noth- 
ing of  congenial  or  uncrowded  occupations. 

The  American  youth  has  heretofore  exercised  his  democratic 
privilege  of  rising  as  he  pleased  or  falling  when  he  chose,  in  most 
cases  unguided,  unadvised,  and  uninformed  in  regard  to  the  con- 
ditions in  business  and  industry  today.  Because  of  these  con- 
ditions has  come  the  demand  that  more  guide-posts  be  set  up  at 
youth's  cross-roads. 

Educational  guidance  is  the  first  step  in  vocational  guidance. 
For  the  youth  who  improvises  a  landing-place  on  the  educational 
ladder  at  his  fourteenth  birthday,  it  is  necessary  that  he  knows 
that  industry  does  not  welcome  him  as  an  irresponsible,  juvenile 
worker.  Eighty-five  per  cent  of  the  boys  and  girls  of  that  age 
who  are  employed  in  the  United  States  are  in  "blind-alley"  or 
futureless  jobs.  Two  million  children  is  our  annual  sacrifice  to 
the  Minotaur  of  the  "blind-alley"  job.  That  these  same  people 
make  our  criminal,  social  and  labor  problems  proves  that  it  would 
be  cheaper  for  the  state  to  enforce  its  school  attendance  laws  and 
provide  training  adapted  to  the  needs  and  capacity  of  the  youth, 
than  to  bear  the  higher  cost  of  correction  and  punishment  later. 

Returns  from  the  investigation  of  why  children  leave  school  have 
upset  all  our  preconceived  theories  in  regard  to  economic  need  as 
a  cause  for  leaving  school.  The  figures  vary  from  nine  to  twenty- 
six  per  cent,  due  to  this  cause.  Those  who  dropped  out  for  this 


—93— 

reason  sought  to  mend  the  tragedy  of  their  separation  by  attend- 
ance at  night  schools  and  boys'  clubs. 

It  is  useless  to  wait  until  a  complete  and  effective  scheme  of 
vocational  guidance  has  been  worked  out.  We  can  solve  the  prob- 
lem only  by  working  on  it. 

For  the  child  who  goes  to  the  high  school  an  important  decision 
awaits  him  in  the  choice  of  a  course  of  study.  This  pupil  needs 
information,  assistance,  and  counsel  likewise,  in  arriving  at  a  wise 
decision.  This  choice  is  often  influenced  by  the  merest  whim,  by 
parents'  and  teachers'  hobbies,  by  companions,  or  by  hearsay  evi- 
dence that  certain  subjects  are^hard  or  easy.  In  an  elective  sys- 
tem, the  requests  for  changes  sometimes  show  the  pupils  who  have 
no  aim. 

A  vocational  counselor  should  have  a  very  practical  knowledge 
of  the  laws  and  phenomena  of  psychology,  and  an  understanding 
of  human  nature  as  revealed  in  motives,  interests,  aims,  desires 
and  personal  differences  which  go  to  make  up  what  we  call  charac- 
ter. The  counselor  must  be  tactful,  sympathetic,  sincere,  resource- 
ful, able  to  command  respect  and  trust,  and  to  invite  confidence 
and  candor  in  dealing  with  the  young. 

Two  problems,  then,  confront  the  grade  school  vocational  coun- 
selor whose  service  is  to  co-operate  with  the  parent  and  child: 
(1)  in  discovering,  educating  and  utilizing  that  ability  of  every 
boy  and  girl  that  will  give  him  the  greatest  economic  and  social 
returns;  (2)  in  knowing  what  the  various  occupations  offer,  their 
advantages,  disadvantages,  conditions  for  efficiency  and  success, 
etc. 

A  careful  analysis  of  the  courses  which  are  given  in  the  high 
school,  their  aims  and  the  careers  to  which  they  lead,  should  be 
information  which  the  teacher  could  supply  to  pupil  and  to  parent, 
upon  whom  the  ultimate  responsibility  for  choice  should  rest. 

Pre-vocational  courses  aimed  to  give  an  occupation  round  of  ex- 
periences, rather  than  skill  as  a  means  of  self-discovery,  are  a 
most  valuable  factor  in  vocational  guidance. 

In  the  high  school,  Vocational  Guidance,  through  vocational 
counselors  and  courses  in  vocational  information,  should  have 'the 
following  aims:  (1)  To  aid  the  youth  in  self-analysis  and  self- 
discovery;  (2)  to  survey  the  various  fields  of  endeavor,  at  close 
range,  the  requirements  and  training  for  various  occupations,  the 
qualities  necessary  for  success,  the  demand  and  supply  of  work- 


—94— 

ers,  positions,  pay  and  future  in  them;  (3)  to  lead  the  youth  who 
is  going  to  higher  institutions  to  consider  his  choice  in  the  light  of 
his  needs,  the  scholarships  offered  by  the  state  clubs,  societies  and 
colleges  to  first-year  students. 

Many  studies  have  been  made  of  vocational  aims  and  factors 
which  determine  the  choice  of  occupation.  Noteworthy  are  the 
studies  of  Dean  Keppel  of  Columbia  on  "The  Occupations  of  Col- 
lege Graduates,"  and  Dean  Herman  Schneider  of  Cincinnati  on 
"Selecting  Young  Men  for  Particular  Jobs;"  Miss  Bessie  Davis' 
stiidy  of  2,000  high  school  students  in  Somerville,  Mass. ;  Jesse 
Davis'  investigation  at  Grand  Rapids.  Dr.  Irving  King's  investiga- 
tions in  certain  Iowa  high  schools  led  him  to  the  conclusion  that  ex- 
perience in  earning  money  for  one's  self  is  a  preparation  for  future 
work  that  is  decidedly  worth  while.  It  is  of  especial  value  when 
related  to  future  plans.  The  school  and  the  community  should 
provide  more  opportunity  for  the  pupils  which  will  minister  to  their 
vocational  interests.  The  school  should  undertake  to  enlighten 
pupils  systematically  on  vocational  opportunities,  provide  more 
vocational  studies,  and  give  more  attention  to  practical  relation- 
ships involved  in  ordinary  studies,  that  the  pupil  may  be  provided 
with  a  better  basis  on  which  to  go  out  into  the  community  and 
choose  his  work.  The  community  should  take  a  more  direct  in- 
terest in  the  future  of  its  children,  beside  providing  them  with 
school  opportunities.  Pupils  engaged  in  different  kinds  of  work 
should  feel  a  responsibility  in  providing  ways  for  boys  and  girls 
to  get  some  slight  contact  with  different  vocations,  so  that  they 
might  have  the  experience  of  earning  money  and  a  practical  ap- 
preciation of  the  requirements  of  a  vocation. 

Vocational  guidance  is  not  new.  Consciously  or  unconsciously 
it  is  going  on  all  the  time.  For  the  most  part  much  of  it,  which 
is  not  based  on  accurate  and  authentic  information,  must  be  color- 
ed by  personal  prejudice,  and  hence  is  misguidance.  The  struggle 
for  human  efficiency  is  the  key-note  of  the  age.  Two  great  factors 
in  personal  efficiency  are  (1),  that  the  person  shall  be  adapted  to 
his  work;  (2)  that  he  shall  be  prepared  for  it. 

The  problem  of  selecting  and  training  people  for  work  hereto- 
fore has  fallen  more  heavily  upon  business  than  upon  the  schools. 
The  employers  of  labor  say  this  is  a  big  and  difficult  problem,  be- 
cause in  the  United  States  we  have  over  fifty  million  working 
people  and  over  cne  thousand  occupations,  including  industrial, 
commercial,  agricultural,  household  arts  and  professional.  These 


—95— 

are  varied  and  differ  from  each  other  in  character,  opportunity, 
wage,  requirements  in  workers,  the  skill  and  aptitude  necessary 
for  success.  The  problem  is  difficult,  not  only  because  of  the 
variety  of  employment?,  but  because  individuals  differ  more  wide- 
ly than  vocations  in  interests,  aptitudes,  abilities,  physical  strength, 
moral  fitness  and  personal  characteristics. 

The  problem  of  helping  an  individual  to  find  his  work  in  life 
involves  an  analysis  or  understanding  of  vocations,  on  the  one 
hand,  such  as  only  can  be  gathered  by  long-continued  expert  study, 
and  investigation  of  the  interests  and  possibilities  of  individuals, 
on  the  other  hand,  involving  as.  they  do  the  unfolding  of  character- 
istics sometimes  latent,  sometim.es  concealed,  sometimes  misunder- 
stood. 

The  movement  is  in  its  infancy — a  period  of  agitation  and  pro- 
motion. Here  and  there  excellent  contributions  have  been  made 
and  practical  experiments  have  been  carried  on  to  enable  people 
to  find  and  follow  their  bent.  Vocational  Bureaus,  modeled  after 
the  one  at  Boston,  have  been  established  by  Chambers  of  Commerce 
in  many  cities  for  the  investigation  and  publication  of  vocational 
information.  Courses  in  vocational  information,  through  the  ave- 
nues of  English,  civics  and  economics,  particularly  that  of  Grand 
Rapids,  have  passed  the  experimental  stage.  Thirty  cities  have 
established  Placement  Bureaus,  in  order  to  keep  education  super- 
vision of  employment  of  the  youth  of  school  age.  Chambers  of 
Commerce  and  industrial  associations  have  organized  Junior 
Leagues  after  the  Winston-Salem  plan,  described  in  Senate  Docu- 
ment No.  108,  63rd  Congress.  Many  cities  have  advisory  com- 
mittees which  serve  in  the  preparation  and  adjustment  of  courses 
of  study  in  trade  and  commercial  schools,  and  in  providing  speak- 
ers representing  the  various  kinds  of  business  and  industries  of 
the  community.  Winnipeg,  Manitoba,  has  distributed  these  ad- 
dresses as  vocational  guidance  literature.  The  Teachers'  Club  of 
Minneapolis  made  a  vocational  survey  and  published  their  findings. 
The  Chicago  Women's  Clubs  employed  a  woman  to  make  a  study 
of  the  occupations  which  children  left  school  to  enter.  This  re- 
sulted in  the  school  taking  on  the  issuance  of  employment  certifi- 
cates and  employment  supervision  of  children  of  school  age.  Cin- 
cinnati has  been  following  up  1,000  children  placed  in  progressive 
employment  for  a  period  £>£  three  years  to  estimate  the  relative 
values  of  work  arid  schooling.  These  are  but  a  few  concrete  ex- 
amples of  the  various  kinds  of  work  which  are  being  done. 


—96— 

Vocational  guidance,  though  a  matter  of  state-wide  interest, 
should  be  left  in  the  hands  of  local  communities  for  investigation 
and  experiment.  The  work  of  local  communities  in  this  field  will 
produce  such  results  and  benefits  as  the  following: 

1.  Children,  and  parents  of  children,  will  be  brought  to  think 
carefully  of  the  relationship  of  the  schooling  of  the  child  to  the 
work  which  he  is  to  do  in  life. 

2.  There  will  be  an  increasing  tendency  to  differentiate  courses 
of  study  in  the  fields  of  elementary  and  secondary  education,  to 
provide  training  which  will  lead  to  the  different  vocations. 

3.  It  will  lead  to  better  enforcement  of  the  compulsory  attend- 
ance laws  of  the  states,  and  to  such  revision  of  attendance  and  em- 
ployment laws  of  the  state  as  will  meet  the  situation. 

4.  There  will  come  such  information  in  regard  to  kinds  and 
conditions  of  employment  open  to  children  as  cannot  help   but 
lead  to  improvement  in  them. 

5.  Children  will,  in  an  increasing  degree,  be  steered  away  from 
dead-end  and  blind-alley  jobs  into  more  progressive  occupations. 

6.  As  guidance  becomes  more  effective,  and  the  opportunities 
for  vocational  training  more  varied,  children  will  be  induced  to 
stay  longer  in  school  in  order  to  get  better  preparation  for  life 
work. 

7.  Then  will  come  a  growing  recognition  that  the  most  effective 
guidance  is  that  which  leads  to  careers  through  further  training 
in  all-day,  part-time  and  evening  schools. 

8.  The  home,  the  school  and  the  public  will  become  more  alive 
to  the  necessity  for  co-operation  in  assuming  the  responsibility  for 
those  who  leave  school  for  work,  and  will  be  led  to  provide  oppor- 
tunities for  part-time  and  continuation  school  work. 

9.  Industries  will  profit  by  the  larger  efficiency  which  will  come 
from  more   careful   selection   of   employees,   coupled   with   better 
ability  and  preparation,  and  will  report  accordingly. 

10.  Schools  will  profit  by  this  contact  with  the  vocations,  since 
they  will  measure  up  the  efficiency  of  schemes  of  training  in  terms 
of  their  effects. 


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